What Binds Them
by Azurevi
Summary: At the safe house Chloe has been trying to have as normal of a life as she can, but problems with her powers throw a wrench in her attempts. With only the boys as trustworthy allies she and a certain moody werewolf will have to work together to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Voila, the reason that I haven't worked on my other stories lately, I totally fell in love with the Darkest Powers books. I loved Kelley Armstrong as a writer even before these, she's just so fearless and gritty, but these books in particular I think are just awesome. Chloe and Derek are definitely the best young romantic interest item I have read, possibly the best hopefully couple period.

I took the liberty of pretending that all the characters are a year older than they are in the books, same time succession and everything, just with them a year older. Fifteen is too young for me to wrap my head around! I also moved the seasons around a little bit, in the second book I think they're getting near summer, in this they're just hitting winter.

Also, it's written in first person because that's how Kelley Armstrong wrote the books. A little weird for me as I usually use third person perspective but I think I've gotten the hang of it. Anyway, please read and review but most importantly enjoy!

**What Binds Them**

Chapter 1

I opened my eyes slowly, watching the fuzzy early-morning shapes resolve into something more recognizable. The comforter was a familiar bulky weight, wrapping me up like my own personal cloud. It was white, it matched my white bed, white pajamas, white walls and furniture. Nothing black in the room or within eyesight.

Act one, scene one. Chloe the necromancer runs from her identity by pretending dark things didn't exist. I'd even had a night light put in, a source of merciless mockery from Tori.

The truth was; I was afraid of the dark. The dark meant that things could creep up on you, crawl on you like zombies and corpses with tortured souls shoved back in them. Souls that **I**accidentally summoned, torture that I inflicted, and it was hard to explain to a panicked soul trapped in its rotting corpse that you made a mistake.

Just a few short weeks ago I was a normal, boring, completely one hundred percent average teenage girl anxiously awaiting her period. When I finally passed the threshold into womanhood I also was indoctrinated into the world of necromancy. Oh yes, bleed on myself and then start seeing ghosts, THEN get diagnosed as schizophrenic and sent to a group home for effed up teens. Or supernatural teens. Either way an all-around bad day. It took barely a week before a werewolf, sorcerer, sorceress, half-demon and yours truly escaped from Lyle house. Only to be betrayed by Rae, who I thought was my friend, but now I just wasn't sure. I know Rae didn't really understand how evil The Edison was, but it still stung.

I resigned myself to the morning, I had been going to bed at nightfall and waking at sunrise for the past three weeks. Avoiding everything dark about and around myself. I stretched and changed from a white tank top and jammie pants to blue jeans so faded they looked white and a flannel shirt. Lately even flannel was too dark for my tastes but it was chilly in the safe-house, drafty and gothic as it was. I pulled thick wool socks on and padded out the door.

I was yawning and not paying attention where I was going so it was a bit of a surprise when I stopped moving due to a brick wall in my path that hadn't been there the day before. A breathing brick wall. Only one person I knew was that solid and so tall that my forehead barely brushed their collar bone. A certain teenage werewolf that I hadn't spoken to for almost as long as we'd been at the safe house.

"Morning." A rumble confirmed my brick wall werewolf theory.

"H-H-Hey D-Derek." I stuttered, so surprise by his sudden appearance that my oh so charming speech impediment got the better of me. I took a deep breath and counted to three in my head while he waited without speaking. "Good morning to you too. What's up?" I stepped back so I could see his face.

His piercingly green eyes looked right through me. We hadn't talked, I had honestly avoided him as much as possible, something that bothered him even though he hid it well. Derek just confused me too much, I was trying to get control of my emotions, control of my energy so I could get control and understand my powers. I let that control slip when I was around Derek, I got distracted too easily and all that training went out the window.

"Your turn." He grunted, holding a glass vial up for me to see.

I sighed resignedly. Derek had been playing mad scientist since we came to the house. They had a make-shift lab set up in the basement and he had been drawing blood samples from all of the supernaturals around except for me. Saving the erratic necromancer for last.

Without argument I held out my arm, awkwardly rolling up my sleeve one-handed. With an annoyed sigh he pushed me into my room and down on the edge of my bed. I felt my blush light up the state of New York as my heart went crazy. Despite that he could hear it he ignored my heartbeat and rolled up my sleeve, kneeling in front of me with a syringe dwarfed in a hand the size of a small dolphin. Ok, a really small dolphin, more like a magazine or film reel.

"So what are you doing with all these blood samples Dr. Frankenstein?" I asked as casually as I could. Which was about as casual as a thirteen-year old on a first date. You know the one, in all the cutsy movies about growing up and stuff where the little couple go and see a Disney together and the boy yawns and puts his arm around the girl's shoulders… yeah, real smooth Chloe Saunders.

"Just… experiments." His voice was a gruff as ever, almost like his vocal chords couldn't decide if they wanted to howl or speak.

"WOW! _Really?_ I would have never guessed that you were experimenting!" I couldn't help the jibe, he'd set himself up for it.

I earned myself a glare, but while his demeanor was as prickly as ever, he was exceedingly gentle as he tied a rubber hose around my bicep. I followed his grunted instructions to squeeze his hand to get my veins to pop up. I tried to ignore the heat from his hand, the roughness of it and the way it made mine look like a child's. The heat worried me, he didn't look too feverish but the changes were coming faster now. There had been three more since the woods outside Syracuse.

I wasn't the only one trying to ignore things that bothered me. I had small bandaids on three out of five fingertips of the hand dwarfed in Derek's. I saw him glance at them every so often and scowl, looking down to hide his expression but Derek had the unique ability to scowl with his whole body and I could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was.

"This will sting." He warned, rubbing the skin before slipping the needle effortlessly into my vein.

I hissed involuntarily, internally cursing myself for not following my own instructions to stay silent and be brave and not look like a sissy girl in front of Derek.

"Sorry." He drew the blood and replaced the needle with a cotton ball, cupping my elbow in his hand.

"H-How are… your changes?" I murmured. I hadn't meant to say anything but as I watched him he had rubbed the back of his neck and shifted a few times like his skin didn't fit quite right.

He didn't look at me as he put a strip of medical tape over the cotton ball. "Getting better."

The fact that he didn't meet my eyes was a dead give-away that he was lying to me. Things had been awkward between us ever since we got to the safe house but his body language was something that I couldn't avoid reading, it came naturally to me.

He stood and walked to the doorway, pausing only briefly as I whispered "Liar" to his retreating back.

Breakfast was quiet, the house always was this early in the morning, seeing Derek had been really unusual but I'd been so tired when he'd shown up that it didn't even really occur to me that it was weird until later. I ate my breakfast of cold cereal and a grapefruit in a sunny window seat in the kitchen. One of my favorite spots in the house, there were a few places around that I went when I wanted to spend time alone. Obviously the kitchen wasn't a place to go to be alone, but this early I got the room to myself and it was nice.

I washed my bowl and rinsed sticky grapefruit juice off my fingers. I thought about taking some breakfast down to Derek in the lab since I knew he was awake, but decided against it. That morning's encounter had rattled me enough as it was and I needed to be able to study.

There was a copy of the big book of _Necromancia_ that Dr. Davidoff had shown me in his office all those months before in the house library. I was just over half-way through reading it. I tried to read a chapter a week but some were denser than others and I had to plod through them. I wasn't by any means dumb, but I also wasn't Derek, I still hadn't figured out a fail-proof way to prevent from accidentally raising the dead.

I had meditated everyday like the book said to, focusing on the different feelings of… well… of dead. I felt very goth as I listened quietly to dead things with my mind. I'd learned to tell the difference between the feel of a dead body and a dead body with a soul in it. This way if I accidentally raised some poor soul I could tell and release it quickly. That was one thing I was really proud of, being so much better at releasing souls. No more drawn out terror, I could even calm the soul.

Simon knew I'd been working on controlling my powers but Derek hadn't seemed interested at all and he was the one who had suggested experimenting in the first place. It was a little frustrating.

I thought back to my encounter with Derek in my room, the slight glow to his eyes and the heat his body was giving off. He looked like he might be in for another shift attempt tonight, something I had hoped he would get a break from for a while.

Propping the book up, I pulled a shoebox down from the shelf next to the window seat. It wasn't on the top shelf because I couldn't reach; damn these stubby legs. Inside were two wide bracelets made from a weave of tight copper wires with silver interwoven in them to form symbols. Runes or something, I wasn't completely sure. I'd had to take apart more than I'd woven together to get this far and wire wasn't easy to work with no matter how thin and delicate.

In the book there was a whole section dedicated to uncontrollable powers. A couple of the big guys in necromancy had too much to handle, Rasputin, Vlad Dracula, Marie Laveau. I hadn't even known those guys _were_ necromancers, Simon and I had argued about it, he thought Rasputin was a sorcerer. Luckily for the sake of our friendship it turned out that he was both, like Tori. Mommy was a witch and daddy was a necromancer—except in Tori's case her daddy was a sorcerer and she didn't know which was just a whole other set of issues I didn't want to get into.

_Anyway_ so Rasputin was a big time bad ass, emphasis on bad, and Simon and I had kissed and made up. Which, let's be clear, is a figure of speech. Simon's super cute but I SO did not need that drama. Living with three other teenagers made avoiding drama like trying to hum the national anthem, rub your stomach, pat your head and walk a straight line all at once.

I poked my fingertip on the end of one of my wires. "Ow! Sunava gun!" A drop of blood welled up and I pulled a tissue out of the shoebox to wipe it off with. Working with wires, this had happened a lot over the past few weeks. With a sigh I pulled out another band aid and wrapped the newly damaged finger.

Usually when I pricked myself I could feel Derek shift and tense, like he was antsy. I think it came with the territory of being a necromancer, I could just… feel werewolf energy, I was sure I'd read it somewhere in the book.

When my finger stopped throbbing I went back to my work, so close to being done that I sat in the same position for hours, finally slipping the last wire through. I plugged in my little jewelry soldering tool and waited for it to heat up. Ok, I know, soldering tool in the library was not the smartest move, and if it were a movie I would forget about it (being the blond heroine) and burn the only books that linked me to my history. Luckily for me I'm not your typical blond movie heroine.

For starters, I lack the stackage. I mean, seriously, how does the young female protagonist expect to run away from the bad guys when her yabbos are bouncing all over the place? Great for drawing in teenage boys to your box office, not so great for real life situations that require escaping, trust me I've been there done that. For another thing, I do not make an impressive necromancer; I don't know if it's the blond hair blue eyes thing, or the being five foot zilch thing but me standing on a hilltop raising a zombie horde would just not be as scary as like… well pretty much anyone else. In short, I would not star me in my necromancer film. I'd even dyed my hair red and I still could only hope for "cutely menacing" like a growling Chihuahua in a pink sweater. When I'd had black hair I had the right coloring for a necromancer but we are so not going back down THAT road.

I soldered the ends of my wires together, making as sturdy of an end to my bracelet as I could. Then with a deep breath, I put them on. At first nothing happened, and my spirits crashed to their fiery doom. But as I attached all the little hooks and eyelets I felt calmer. They were an ancient kind of channeling spell that let me focus my necromantic powers. Before they were like an open faucet, spewing energy everywhere I went uncontrollably, but the bracelets were like a hose with a watering nozzle attachment—I could focus or turn off my power completely. I could only raise what I wanted to raise.

Or at least that was the theory; I hadn't really had time to put it into practice. The only annoying part was that I wasn't used to wearing jewelry—much less two-inch wide gauntlets made of wire—and they were a little uncomfortable.

I settled for rolling up my sleeves to the elbow so they wouldn't add that extra layer of awkward and grabbed my lunch of a PB&J and apple before settling in to get some more work done.

In the afternoons I had been doing my secret research. I found a book on werewolves tucked in the old leather-bound supernatural section, I knew Derek had read it, he'd spent our first week here locked away in the library reading. I'd read my book in my room while he was doing his research. It was a pretty sweet book, like mine it was all gothic and perfect dark movie prop but it was older than mine and the original was locked behind glass. We had to make do with an electronic scan on a computer older than the dinosaurs.

The book on werewolves was a much faster read than mine. I guess it was easier to process because it wasn't happening to me, there wasn't some new nasty fact waiting around every page to surprise me with "oh hey, necromancers can totally raise the dead in their sleep if they're powerful enough" which would have been dandy to know oh say a month ago. Or my personal favorite, "water—especially salt water—like totally amplifies your power which means if you don't take super careful measures you can raise zombie sharks (which can't be controlled and are even pissier than non-zombie sharks) and get dragged to the depths of the ocean!" Ok, so maybe they weren't worded exactly like that, but you get the general idea. No beach-bumming for Chloe.

My pity party was cut short by a rap on top of my computer. I switched the browser to amazon before even looking up at who it was. When I did look I met dark tilted eyes with mischief twinkles.

"Whatcha doing?" Simon asked with his token grin. The boy was too cute for his own good, he really was.

"Just looking at a camera I want to order when I get the green light to use my bank account again."

"Sweet, doing a supernatural camp documentary?" He dropped his sketchbook on the desk next to me. "You've already got a kickin' screenplay."

I smiled and shook my head, pulling the book to me. "Have you gotten any new work done?"

"Oh yeah, I think it's my favorite yet." He flipped it open to a page about a third of the way in.

It was an inked drawing of me, sitting cross-legged in the window seat in the library with a half-done bracelet it my hands and star-wars band aids on almost all of my fingers. I noticed that Simon had taken the liberty of making my typically loose clothing tighter. While I normally wore t-shirts that were more comfortable than flattering or button-down long sleeved shirts, he had drawn me in one of those fashionable camisoles with lace on the neckline.

"Hmm… Simon I think there's some kind of jello-mold stuck down the shirt in the sketch." I pointed at the me-figure's chest.

He laughed and tugged at the sleeve of my flannel shirt. "It's not my fault you leave everything to the imagination."

I rolled my eyes, I'd gotten a lot of practice dealing with his flirting. In our first few weeks he'd always made me blush and get tongue-tied but I realized it was just part of who he was and I stopped taking it personally, which had made our friendship a lot more comfortable for me. "That's because there's nothing to imagine twerp."

"Is that an invitation?" He winked and pulled out his groping hand.

I felt a growl vibrate in my whole body and looked up to see Derek in the doorway, almost filling it completely. It took me a second to figure out why Simon hadn't reacted to the growl before I realized that it was actually a hum of Derek's energy, like a growl but without sound and being a necromancer I felt it when Simon didn't. His face was shadowed in the doorway but his hand on the frame was white-knuckled.

_Jeez he can't even stand up on his own! The shifting could come on any minute if he's not careful!_ I thought worriedly, watching him.

Simon picked up my wrists and grinned again. "You finished them! Pretty snazzy looking, do they work?" When I didn't respond immediately Simon followed my gaze and waved when he saw his foster-brother. "Hey bro! Ready for lunch? You're like an hour late."

"Not hungry." Derek grunted, making me look at him sharply, he didn't eat before a change because he would always end up puking it all up later. If he wasn't going to change then Derek not being hungry was a sign of the apocalypse.

"Well you should totally check out these charm thingies Chloe has been working on. She's been all academic and stuff, super cute." Simon shrugged good-naturedly when he didn't respond and scooped up his sketchbook and tapped me on the head with it. "Catch you later Love."

Derek stiffened in the doorway but I just rolled my eyes at Simon's pet name for me. It had been developed after we watched a late-night marathon of the Ghost Whisperer and Simon had called me Jennifer Love Hewitt until it became too much of a mouthful.

Once they were out of the room I strained my ears to hear as Simon said. "You know, you should really talk to Chloe about whatever is up between you two. I don't know if you had a fight or whatever but this tip-toeing around each other is super awkward."

"I don't tip-toe." Was Derek's only response.

I could picture Simon rolling his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

I would like to personally thank Emo Taco for being the first person to review my story, you are very brave my friend and I appreciate it. Also general thanks to Wolf Girl, Leah, Ghost, Eternity, Not-so, Kajakoo and the Moon Princess. You guys are why I write! I hope you enjoy this, I love writing from Chloe's perspective because she's tiny and I'm six feet tall so it's a bit of a switch for me. Also she is a firecracker and a sweetheart at the same time and I think that is rockin. Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter 2

I felt a little silly; I was kneeling on the floor of my bedroom, just barely peering over the edge of my windowsill. Usually when he shifted Derek walked along the edge of the lawn and into the forest. The first time he had done it while we were at the safe house I had followed him and gotten lost. By the time I found him he was mid-change, whimpering with his head down. He was so distracted by what was going on with his body that he hadn't heard me until I was right next to him. He had instinctively reacted, trying to scramble away from the person who had found him in such a vulnerable position with his hands up to ward them off. Unfortunately his hands weren't exactly hands at that point and I was closer than he thought, he'd accidentally scratched my thigh.

It took me forever to calm him down after that, he was so angry with himself for losing control again but he couldn't move very far because his joints and bones were shifting and realigning so he'd curled up with his back to me and let me touch his shoulders as he battled through the end of the shifting.

I must've dozed off because I woke up in my room, still wearing the same clothes from the night before with Derek's shirt in strips and tied around my leg. The scratches were shallow but long and I'd had to bandage the whole thigh and wear sweatpants to hide the bindings.

Derek didn't look me in the face for almost a month and a half after that. But I still noticed when he started to get feverish and twitchy, he'd made himself scarce though so I didn't know what night exactly the change would be and he snuck out on the opposite side of the house from my room. The next morning I ran into him as he staggered back on the porch. It was barely dawn but I'd had a bad night's sleep and was going outside for fresh air. His eyes were wild and he still looked intensely fevered, like he hadn't worked off all of the change. I helped him back to his room and then camped out outside his door after everyone went to bed. Sure enough Derek emerged in a hoodie and sweatpants, intent on going out again.

He hadn't even questioned my sitting in the hall across from his room but pulled me to my feet and held the door open for me as we went outside. This time it was much quicker, like he had gotten halfway through the night before and just had to finish. He hadn't even thrown up and let me hold onto his shoulders and back the whole time without trying to pull away.

When he finally collapsed to the ground he held onto my hand like it was a lifeline. "So… scared…" Was all he managed to say before passing out. I don't think he even remembers that he said it, and I definitely know he didn't mean to tell me that.

So here I was, crouching in the shadows of my room, waiting for Derek to try to sneak across the lawn and feeling a little like the parent of a delinquent seventeen year old. I was so intent on the window that I didn't hear my door open and close. A hand the size of Miami landed on my shoulder and I yelped, falling backwards on my butt with a thump.

Derek raised a black eyebrow and nodded at the window. "Looking for something?"

"I… I wasn't sure if you'd try to sneak past me again." I felt my cheeks flush, like a kid caught looking for Christmas presents.

He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Not worth it."

"Well… good. You shouldn't try to do that crap alone, it's dangerous and… stuff." I felt that my lecture fell short of stellar and thought that I got even shorter as Derek looked down at me with one eyebrow still raised. Suddenly I got angry, like really angry, maybe irrationally angry. I punched him in the chest, which had about the same effect as hitting a wall and hurt my hand only a little less. "How could you be so… so… _selfish?!_ I was worried sick and you just thought 'Hey, I'm going to do this by myself because I'm a big werewolf' and you didn't tell me you were shifting and then I found out you did it alone and when I found you you looked so-" A finger on my lips cut off my pissed off but whispered tirade. I hadn't even realized that it still bothered me that he snuck out before, it had been buried deeper than I thought and exploded as soon as I was reminded about it.

Without a word he opened my window and ducked out onto the narrow ledge, pulling me through after him and jumping, waving for me to follow. I grabbed my backpack off the floor and tossed it down to him, then closed the window behind me and turned back around. Did I mention that my bedroom was on the third floor? I think I neglected that fact.

Derek had jumped off as easily as if it was three feet instead of three stories. When I hesitated he gestured impatiently and I shot him the finger. I hadn't meant to but I was still mad and he was asking me to jump to my death so my patience with him was wearing a little thin.

I pulled my bandanna out of my hair and folded it, then bit down on it so I wouldn't scream and jumped off. I still screamed, it was just muffled. I think I was still screaming as Derek caught me like we did this every day.

He pulled the bandanna out of my mouth and when I finally opened my eyes I saw that he looked amused. I snatched it back and wiggled until he put me down and set off determinedly towards the forest. About half a mile into the woods was a clearing. I knew that, I just had no idea where it was so I graciously let Derek lead and earned myself another amused look.

How the boy could look amused when he was running a temperature of a hundred million degrees and his body was turning inside out was beyond me.

We had just reached the clearing when Derek froze and raised his face to the air. The wind that had been blowing towards us and towards the house had changed to the opposite direction.

"What's-?" I started to ask but then heard a twig snap behind us and leaves rustling on the ground.

Derek growled this time, a real out-loud growl and stalked back into the woods, returning with a disgruntled Simon in a headlock.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He asked, the rapid drop in octaves making me bounce with nervous energy.

"Oh am I interrupting your romantic get away?" Simon growled back, but his sorcerer growl was just not as impressive as a werewolf growl.

"We… What?" I asked, dumbfounded. "This is your idea of romantic?" I took the time after asking to glance around. The clearing was kept clear because ivy and thorns had grown, keeping the trees out of the space but they still grew overhead so the moonlight slanted down in beams on the frosty leaf-strewn ground.

I could see how it could be romantic if your date's skin wasn't splitting in half.

"Simon…" Derek's voice was pitched even lower.

"We don't have time, go strip." I waved to the thicket behind me, knowing that Derek usually liked to have a modicum of privacy when he took off his clothes.

He surprised me by shooting Simon a defiant look and stripping off his top layers in one motion.

"I-hey! I don't want to see you two… I mean… not in front of me! Christ!" Simon raised his hands defensively and took a step back. "I just wish that you know… you'd told me sooner, it would have been nice to know."

I gave him an incredulous look and whacked him upside the head with an open palm; the effect of which was kind of lost because I had to reach so darn high to do it.

"Your brother is about to have his skin ripped apart by a change that his body can't physically handle right now. It's going to twist his internal organs around and break and realign his bones. I really really REALLY don't think he wants you to see that."

"… Say what?" Simon looked up as Derek finished folding his clothes and stood in his boxers—which was always a blush-worthy affair for me—an effect that was increased by the cold sweat of the fever and the unearthly glow of his eyes. "… Oh… But why are you here Chloe?"

I looked at Derek, standing straight with the lines of his body strong and could see the slight tremble in his posture. It was taking an enormous amount of effort for him to stay standing in front of Simon. I could tell Simon that Derek was scared of being alone, that I understood because I had a question mark by my name too, that I didn't know what my body was going to do next just like Derek. But seeing him spending all the effort just to stay straight, to look like nothing too out of the ordinary was going on was enough for me to know he didn't want Simon to know he was scared. Probably some guy code thing.

"It's pretty messy, and while it's going on Derek can't really watch his back. I've seen it before so it doesn't really bother me and I can keep an eye out."

"I can watch his back." Simon said softly.

"Go Simon." Derek took a shaking step back into deeper shadows. "Chloe already thinks I'm a monster, but you shouldn't see this." When Simon opened his mouth again to argue Derek said softly. "Please."

Simon snapped his mouth shut and with an enormous effort nodded once and turned around.

As soon as I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore I rushed over just in time to catch Derek as his knees gave out. Which didn't really work since I weigh a hundred nothing and Derek weighs at least twice that. I did manage to slow him down though so his knees and hands could catch himself safely. When he was steady I eased from under his arm, getting out of firing range in the nick of time as he twisted around a tree and vomited. He hadn't eaten anything so it was just a round of stomach acid followed by dry heaves. He dragged himself back fully into the clearing with as much help from me as I could give and went back to kneeling as his spine twisted and pulled like it was trying to escape from his body.

He alternated between dry heaves and coughing, both sounded painful like his lungs were joining the mutinous effort started by his back. His coughing drowned out the gasp I heard from the woods and I looked up to see Simon, who was looking at his brother horrified. He didn't back away though, he started to take a step forward but winced as Derek's body jack-knifed up with the crunching of bones grinding together. I could see that Simon's biggest problem wasn't his brother changing into something else—which was Derek's fear—but watching the boy he'd grown up with in this much pain.

I shook my head as he started to take a step. He looked at my face and something he saw there stopped him, he blinked a few times like he was waking up from a dream. Then he mouthed "thank you" and nodded at Derek, I felt my face soften and I dipped my head in acknowledgement as he turned and walked quietly away.

I went to my back pack and pulled out my Derek-related-emergency kit. First was a big bottle of water, a small first-aid kit and a wool blanket. I folded the blanket in half next to him and sat on it before pouring some of the water onto my bandanna and gently wiping the sweat off his face and his hair out of his eyes. His eyes shot open in surprise as the damp cloth touched him, locking onto mine. I blushed but didn't look away.

"I'm sorry, the water's cold."

He shook his head and bit back a groan as his fingers drew back and curled over into pads, black claws pushing out from under his fingernails. If someone paid me ten million dollars I still couldn't get an effect nearly as eerie on film. With a sickening crunch the bones on his face started to lengthen and change, fur pushing out as he broke eye contact and ducked his head. I realized that my breath was short and I was afraid, which was why Derek had looked away. Chloe, the last person who could look him in the face and not see the monster had failed him.

I put my hands on his neck and tucked his head under my chin. With him kneeling on all fours and me standing on my knees it was the only way his head could be under mine.

"You're not a monster." I whispered. "I get scared for you. I don't like seeing you hurt like this." I knew it was true as I said it. I couldn't be afraid of Derek, he had saved me too many times to hurt me now.

When he looked up and saw that there was no fear of him in my face, only fear _for_ him, his eyes shifted, becoming truly wolf. I ran my hands over his neck as he put his head back down on my shoulder. Fur split across his entire body and I murmured nonsensical things as the skin under my hands grew soft.

It ended abruptly, the fur sucking back and the bones sliding into their original places, leaving him collapsed and gasping for breath. I wiped down his face again and found something extremely surprising, something I'd missed before because it was too dark or we were in danger. As the wind blew the tree branches apart and shafts of light fell across his body I saw that Derek's hair was as soft as his undercoat of fur had been and his skin was as clear as a toddler's.

I understood then. I understood Derek in that instant. His body was literally rejecting his human half and had been since he hit puberty. I felt for him since getting my period was what triggered my powers. I was also sure that when Derek completed his change and gave the wolf free reign for a little while he could find a balance between his two natures instead of constantly fighting both.

_Oh Derek_ I thought and sighed, brushing his hair back as he rested on the cold ground. _You and me are all kinds of messed up inside._


	3. Chapter 3

Just to be the biggest tease on the planet I'll let you guys in on a little secret... ready? I'm almost done with the story. And no it's not four chapters long, it's pushing 24 right now, maybe longer. I'm releasing it a little at a time so I can get your feedback and tweak and edit what needs tweaking and editing. For those of you who are general Kelley Armstrong fans and not just fans of the Darkest Powers series, I think you'll like some characters who make an appearance later on! Okay, no more hints! Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

When Derek finally caught his breath he took the water bottle and rinsed his mouth out, spitting the water away from us.

"You were close that time, really close, and it didn't seem to take as long." I scooted back to give him room but he didn't get up, I don't think he could have if he tried.

He said something but his throat didn't seem like it was ready for human speech. He cleared it and tried again. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For… for this."

"For going through some serious shit that you can't help? Yeah you'd better apologize." I said the last with dripping sarcasm.

He ignored me but grabbed my hand, pulling me closer towards him. I felt my breath hitch and had to compose myself when I realized when he was looking at my bracelet. He turned my wrist this way and that, looking over the whole thing carefully. I knew his night vision was as good as my day vision but it still amazed me that he could see anything.

"Clever Chloe, channeling and focus runes. Pretty old but should be effective. Do they work?"

I accepted that he could read ancient necromantic runes, it figured, Derek was way way WAY too smart for his own good. I bet while he was in the library for that first month he had read _Necromancia_, the electronic version. Probably in one sitting… while solving world hunger and curing cancer. "I haven't really tested them. They seem to, I feel calmer."

"Good." He pushed himself onto his back and rested there. "I just need a few minutes, then we can go back inside."

I pulled the blanket out from under me and tossed it on him. When he looked back at me I shrugged, knowing he would see the gesture. "It's thirty degrees out."

"You know… you really are too nice Chloe." He said it with typical Dereky blandness and I bristled.

"Most people think that that's a good thing."

"Well I'm not most people."

"Then I'll just have to be nice for both of us." I pulled my wrist out of his grasp and crossed my arms defiantly. The defiance factor was considerably lessened by the fact that as soon as I lost contact with his radiating body heat I started shivering.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "Come sit over here, I still feel like I have a fever."

I pretended to ignore him for a whole minute, maybe two, before caving and scooching over. I ended up with my back pressed against his side, trying to make it as not intimate as possible. He WAS warm though, like my own werewolfy campfire.

"Too bad I don't have marshmallows." I grumbled.

"If you say 'because you're so toasty' I'm never taking you seriously again."

That made me giggle and lay back across his stomach, soaking in the heat. I started up guiltily as he shifted under me and glanced at him, remembering that he just had gone two rounds with the wolf trapped in his skin. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you more discomfort."

My campfire rumbled and it took me a second to realize that he was laughing. "Chloe you are far too light to squash me. I'm not uncomfortable."

I hesitantly lay back across him, looking up at the stars.

After a while Derek broke the silence. "Does it really not bother you? To see that?"

"Of course it bothers me." I answered and put my hand on his when I felt him tense. "Didn't it freak you out when you found me with zombies crawling all over me?"

He relaxed slightly. "I wasn't really thinking about the zombies at the time."

"Yeah right." I snorted, then reflected on what was most interesting to me about that particular situation. "How DID you find me that day?"

"Lyle house isn't very big. When I couldn't find you anywhere I got worried and just followed your scent."

"And you totally took it in stride that I had zombies crawling all over me?" I asked incredulously.

"Well no. But my first priority was calming you down, I thought your heart was going to burst. I could hear it from the entrance to the basement." He opened his hand under mine so my hand rested in his palm.

"Huh. Well I'm glad you found me, you weren't the only one who thought I was going to have a heart attack." I tried to make a joke out of it but there was a shiver in my voice as I remembered that day. "Compared to dragging someone's soul back into their decomposing body… no, your shifting doesn't bother me. Between the two of us I think it's pretty obvious who's the bigger monster."

Derek laughed outright at that. "Let me think. The overgrown hulking teenager or the tiny cute blond? Tough call."

"It's red now." I corrected with a smile before his comment sunk in. _Cute? Did he really just saw I was cute?_

His fingers lifted some of my hair, fingertips just brushing the curve of my ear. "Oh yeah. The red definitely makes you monster material."

"B-b-better b-believe it." The combination of his fingers in my hair and calling me cute kicked my stutter into high gear.

He quickly dropped his hand and muttered, "Sorry."

I took several calming breaths, trying to get my heart to stop pounding. "I didn't mind. That was kind of the problem."

For a super genius it took him an astoundingly long time to figure out what I meant. Without saying anything he raised his hand to my hair and tugged gently on a strand. "**I** made you stutter?"

I blushed so hard I was sure my cheeks actually glowed and turned away from him. Unfortunately this meant I was facing his neither regions, which was even worse. "I'm n-not like T-Tori." I had to take a few more breaths. "It wasn't like guys were climbing over themselves to talk to me at my old school."

I thought I heard Derek say "idiots" under his breath but I wasn't sure as at that moment I heard footsteps in the leaves.

I bolted upright, knowing that lying on top of a mostly naked man was hard to explain, blanket or no blanket. I wasn't sure but it felt like Derek squeezed my hand briefly before letting go, but as he grabbed his pants and sweatshirt I decided I must have imagined it.

"Hey? Are you guys still out here?" Simon hissed, walking blindly right past the clearing, obviously he'd had a hard time finding us. I wondered how he found us earlier and decided he must have super sneakily followed us. Or just not sneakily followed us when Derek, being distracted by his change, was lacking in the bionic senses department.

"Yeah. Over here." Derek answered after he pulled on his pants.

I was folding the blanket when Simon stumbled up to us. "There you are, jeez woods are hard to navigate at night, don't know how you do it bro."

"I can see in the dark." Derek dead-panned.

"Figure of speech big guy, Chloe? You ok? He didn't eat you or anything?" Simon's face was shadowed and while his tone was light I couldn't read his expression.

"Well yeah, but a handy woodsman came by and chopped open his stomach with an axe."

"I take it you left your grandmother behind then?"

I laughed and tucked the blanket back in my bag, letting Derek keep the water bottle and holding the wet bandanna separate. We started back to the house, Simon joking around and Derek brooding. I returned Simon's banter as best I could but I was tired.

When we got there a light was on in the kitchen. I shifted uncomfortably as I saw Andrew leaning against the table, watching the back door. Derek brushed the top of my head with his hand in a reassuring gesture, one that anyone would use on their little sister.

"Hey Andrew." Simon greeted cheerfully as we walked in.

"Hello Simon, Derek, Chloe. Out for a midnight stroll?" He said it casually but I still felt like I had been caught doing something I shouldn't have.

"Derek's the whiz kid when it comes to astrology, it was such a nice night we thought a little star-gazing would be fun." Simon grinned and slapped Andrew on the back as he went to the fruit bowl and picked out an apple.

I glanced back and found Derek hanging back in the doorway, his face in shadow. I breathed a small sigh of relief, his skin would be a dead give-away that he'd been shifting. I made a small "stay put" gesture behind my back, hoping he would notice.

Andrew looked relieved and seemed to accept this explanation, turning to head to the hallway. I couldn't help but wonder what he'd thought we were doing. "You guys should run that stuff by me first ok? Remember that a lot of powerful people are looking for all of us."

"Yes sir mon cap-i-tan!" Simon saluted and Andrew finally cracked a smile and rolled his eyes. "Get to bed you three, before you all give me a headache."

"What's a midnight stroll without a midnight snack?" Simon asked with a wink. "I'll make sure everyone is tucked in right after that though."

"You do that." Andrew waved, said goodnight and walked down the hall.

I waited until I heard his door close before moving out the path of the doorway to let Derek in the kitchen. He looked at me questioningly but Simon's exclamation of surprise drew his attention. Simon had finally noticed the effect that shifting had on Derek and stared at him open-mouthed.

"Simon close your mouth when you chew your food." I told him while Derek flushed under this new scrutiny.

"Man I want an order of whatever you're taking!" Simon choked out when he finally managed to swallow.

Derek's body was already starting to fight his humanity again, his fur-soft hair had started getting back to its usual lank state but wasn't quite there yet. While Derek asked Simon what the hell he was talking about I got a good look at him for the first time post-shift in good lighting. I could see the boy from the picture in Andrew's house, but barely. He had grown into the jaw that hadn't fit him when he was younger. He had a strong face but his features fit his personality, dark edges and a stubborn mouth that was already dragging into his comfortable scowl. His eyes were what really set him apart, and his jet black hair made those seem even more intensely colored.

"Hey don't get pissed at me." Simon tossed the toaster at Derek who caught it easily in one hand. "Look for yourself."

I decided that Derek was going to need a little time alone to process after he saw his reflection, especially if he came to the same conclusions that I did—and I knew he would. "Night guys, I'm heading up." I turned towards the hallway as I heard a thump, telling me Derek had sat down hard on the bench at the breakfast table.

I stole a glance over my shoulder and I saw Derek watching me leave, instead of looking at his reflection like I had expected. I nearly tripped on the hall carpet and went up the stairs quickly, but not before hearing Simon say quietly, "-she's never cared about how you look bro."


	4. Chapter 4

All right fine. Your begging and flattery has suckered me in. Quick note. I'm also basing the characters off of a little free e-story that Kelley Armstrong wrote called Dangerous, which if you Derek fans have not checked it out you really should. It's written from his POV, you can find it here .?act=ST;f=136;t=26388;&#top

Ayonne, thanks for your interest, I was thinking that Simon would be a little grossed out by Derek's change, even if he's more concerned about him. The little run in with them in the woods un-romanticized that whole adventure thing.

Kate and Ghost- Thank you, you're awesome!

Love It and Moon Lover- Here it is! No need to hunt me down and gorilla glue me to my laptop!

Greek and Panda- I think I'll gracefully bow out of this one and let Chloe have him :p

Emo Taco, Burning Bright, Body&Soul and Kj- I'm really glad you're enjoying it, that's why I write, I'm a fan who writes for fans so we have something to read while waiting (super impatiently) for that last book!

I'll have chapter five up in a few days, promise.

-Az.

* * *

Chapter 4

I woke up feeling like something was wrong. Instinctively I knew it was Derek, I really needed to research that necromancer-werewolf thing. I shot out of bed and considered running downstairs in my pajamas but decided that if Andrew saw me coming out of the boy's room in just my jammies uncomfortable words would be had. I quickly dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and a flannel shirt. I even put on my sneakers and grabbed the heavy black wool coat Andrew had bought for me when the weather started getting cold.

As I ran down the hall and rounded the corner I smacked into Simon who was coming down the third floor hall with a panicked expression.

"W-What's wrong?" I gasped as soon as I had gotten my wind back.

We were already moving down the stairs. "Derek's shifting again, it's only been like nine hours!" We heard a car in the driveway as we reached the bottom floor, Andrew back with groceries. "We should ask him for help!" Simon started turning back around.

"No!" I replied instinctively without breaking stride. "The less people involved the better!"

He hesitated in the hallway before following me. When we got to their bedroom I braked and took a few deep breaths, it wouldn't help anybody if Derek saw me looking scared or panicked when I saw him. I pushed open the door and yanked Simon through by his shirt, shutting and locking it quietly behind us.

Their room was dark and shadowy, I realized that it was because it was snowing outside, not a blizzard but definitely coming down hard. If I were setting up the ultimate anticipatory horror scene I couldn't have made the light spookier. It made the room almost black and white with the only light coming from the window.

A noise drew my gaze in slow motion to the threshold of the boys bathroom where Derek was sprawled halfway through. I hurried to him, making my steps loud so he knew I was coming. He seemed almost unconscious, which I knew was a really bad thing from my werewolf research.

The first thing I had looked up was new werewolf changing—or phasing if we were getting technical. If a werewolf for any reason lost consciousness during phasing they would get stuck in between forms. Which—in case your imagination is not as vivid as mine—is way hardcore icky bad. To the max.

"Derek?" I walked around his prone form as Simon hung back.

Without warning his spine arched backwards and the skin split, spilling jet black fur down his sides.

"Derek!" I rushed around and saw his eyes half-closed and his breathing labored. As his eyes drooped I did the only thing I could think of, I slapped him. "Don't you lose consciousness on me!"

Ok. Let's take a minute here to be stunned. If you asked anyone who knew me before getting my necromantic powers that I would have the guts to slap a guy who could bend me in half, much less a half-changed genetically modified teenage werewolf, in the face/muzzle they would laugh. Timid Chloe smacking around a guy twice her size… yeah, six weeks ago, not gonna happen.

Glowing green eyes snapped open and Derek's lips pulled back from his teeth, bearing white sharpened edges.

"Fine. Be pissed at me." I grabbed the sides of his jaw, jerking his face inches from mine. "Just don't leave me alone." I said the last so quietly that I almost couldn't hear myself. I was sure that my expression was just as surprised as his. I suddenly realized that facing my life as a supernatural without my friend and partner in the unknown as far as our future was concerned was unbearable. I couldn't do this alone and Derek was the only person who really understood that. "Now breathe and remember how to be human."

I knew he was too exhausted to finish the change and he would get stuck if he pushed too hard. He was too smart to try something so stupid and dangerous.

"Come on you idiot, you can do this." I was horrified to feel the prickle of tears behind my eyes as his body slowly started pulling back fur and claws. I looked at the floor and blinked furiously, clearing my eyes before looking at Simon.

He was looking at us with the strangest expression, something like respect, relief and a touch of envy. As I looked at him he settled on relief and knelt next to me.

"He's going to be ok?"

"Yeah. His body is trying so hard to not be human." Anything else I may have said was cut off as Derek pushed himself to his knees and lost his balance, rolling enough at the last minute to rock onto his back. "I'm going to get back upstairs. I think we've got at least six hours before he tries again but I'll check back in three ok?"

Simon nodded and helped Derek into the bathroom. I waited until I heard the shower turn on before rubbing my eyes and heading upstairs, I made it halfway down the hall before I heard someone call my name.

"Chloe? Are you going outside?" It was Andrew. He gave a smile that seemed a little forced but that may have just been paranoia on my part, I smiled back. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

I hesitated, not sure why but not wanting to talk to him.

"It honestly won't take long."

I couldn't refuse without a good reason and without being rude so I followed him to the kitchen in the back of the house. "What's up?"

"I've been talking to a necromancer I know in Canada, he wants you to go train with him."

My jaw dropped. I knew Andrew was a straight-to-the-point kind of guy but this was blunt even for him. I had to admit I was a little shocked but excited as well, the book was great but training with a real necromancer was too good to be true. Maybe a little too good to be true. I did my best excited expression. "That's amazing! When are we all going?"

"If you want, one of them can ride with us to drop you off. But Simon and Derek will be staying at the safe house while you work on controlling your powers." He said firmly. "It's the safest way. You guys will all be back together in no time, I promise."

"Ok… well I really wanted a couple of weeks to finish the _Necromancia_ and test my new containment things." I pulled up my sleeves to show my bracelets. "I finished them and I can already tell that I have a lot more control."

"That's great Chloe. But you know that without someone guiding you that's just like putting a collar on a wild dog."

I heard the shower shut off as Andrew was talking and prayed that Derek wouldn't look like death when he came out for breakfast.

"It's not my fault that I got stuck with something so disgusting!" I shot back, losing my sweet girl mask in my frustration. Weirdly the shower turned back on, Simon must have been taking a morning shower too. After such a stressful wake-up call I totally understood. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be snippy. I just… I want to try to figure out some of this stuff out and Derek has been doing some tests that should help us understand more about what they did to us." I didn't have to tell him I meant the Edison group, he knew.

Andrew put his hand on my shoulder with a sympathetic look. "I know this is all scary and a lot to take in, but training with someone who knows what they're doing will make all that easier."

I got my expression under control before looking up at him. "If you think that's the best thing to do, then I'll do it. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow." He smiled at me and squeezed my shoulder in a fatherly gesture. "I assume you want Derek to ride with us? So you can talk about those tests?"

I nodded, trying to keep my face neutral. Andrew had made it very clear that he didn't trust Derek and avoided him whenever he could, that he would suggest that Derek be the one to ride with us over Simon was a little suspicious. But again, it could be paranoia.

I looked up to see Simon coming down the hall to greet us, looking like he had just woken up from a restful night's sleep. He yawned and stretched, grinning at the two of us. "You guys getting breakfast or what?"

I frowned at Simon's hair, which was dry as I heard the shower shut off for the second time. "No thanks. I'm not hungry." I mumbled and went back up to my room.

It was a few hours before my stomach overtook my desire to be emo and I went back downstairs to grab a snack. To my chagrin, Tori was in the kitchen, eating a salad.

"Look at what the cat dragged in." She said, glancing over me. "Would it kill you to put on some makeup? You're disgracing our gender."

"Why? The only people around are us. That's no reason to put on makeup." I looked at her lined eyes and mascara-laden lashes.

"Whatever. I thought you would want to look your best around your _boyfriends_." She drew out the word, making me shift uncomfortably.

"Nobody is my boyfriend Tori, I am single, a concept that must seem totally alien to you." I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and washed it off.

I was lucky enough to get twenty seconds of silence before, "So. How's controlling your powers going?" She asked with a mean smile. She idly rolled an orange around the table without touching it.

"Good actually. Now I just accidentally send zombies into other people's beds at night." I bit into the apple and was satisfied by Tori's shudder.

"You are disgusting you know that? Gross powers, gross face, gross personality."

I rolled my eyes. "How third grade can you get? Seriously? You think calling me gross is going to hurt my feelings?"

"Seen Auntie Lauren lately?" Tori shot back with a curl of her lip.

That struck a nerve. I tightened my jaw and glared at her. It still amazed me just how much of an insensitive bitch she really was. Every time she pushed me I wanted to tell her that her father wasn't her biological father. That she had some crazy sorcerer who didn't give a crap as a daddy, but it just wasn't in my nature.

"Get a conscious." I rolled my eyes and walked out the door.

I overheard Simon telling Andrew that Derek was napping because he'd had a bad night's sleep and paused in the hallway. Andrew had never expressed concern for Derek's well being before and the paranoid survivalist in me was already on edge from my earlier encounter with him. Simon passed me and I ducked back into the stairway shadow. He didn't see me and walked out the front door with a basketball in hand. Andrew was silent and I almost peered around the stairs but he walked into the study on the opposite side and shut the door. I crept around the long way, ducking into the dark dining room with an adjoining door to the study and knelt to listen at the keyhole.

"-No it's got to be tomorrow!" Andrew was saying in an adamant whisper. "Those kids are uncontrollable and danger to the others!"

I had the sneaking suspicion that he was talking about us, and by us I mean me and Derek. Tori and Simon could do some damage but their powers never got the better of them on the scale that mine and Derek's did.

I rocked back on my heels and felt my back hit someone's chest. A big chest, with an adjoining hand that had snapped over my mouth moments before I even touched him, smothering my yelp of alarm.


	5. Chapter 5

**I would like to take a moment to say, I love that I have "regulars." it's like going to my email and finding only GOOD messages in my inbox. No spam, no claims to make my penis bigger—which would be a heck of a feat since whatever higher power is out there has seen fit to grace me with an in-y not an out-y—and no nagging emails from Dad.**

**The promptness award goes to Burning Bright for sending me a review within I think an hour of me posting the fourth chapter.**

**FC Grl- I get to the werewolf/necromancer thing in the ninth chapter so don't worry.**

**Emmoria- Glad you liked it, I'm all about hooking new readers!**

**Izzy- I have no life, that's why I have so much practice writing :p**

**Panda, Ghost, Emo Taco, Greek, Mr, Not-So and Setien- Thanks for following the story, I'm glad I can provide entertainment for you! (Also, Panda: remember to take snack breaks while you're waiting!)**

**-----------**

Chapter 5

Derek was not looking at me, but had his head cocked to the door, listening intently. I put my hands on his knees and pushed forward to listen again.

"Simon and Tori are fine, the mutations don't seem to have affected them to the same degree. It's the werewolf, he's shifting more and more often and has no control, he has to be humanely exterminated."

I was grateful for Derek's hand covering my mouth because I gasped in outrage and fear. I knew Andrew didn't trust Derek, but it sounded like he trusted him about as much as Aunt Lauren had. Derek started to move away from the door but Andrew's next words made him freeze in place.

"No he's not top priority, we have to take care of the Saunders girl, _then_ work on getting Simon to Kit… Yeah I think she's a sweet kid too but she's a sweet kid that could accidentally raise Arlington! … no she's like the freaking energizer bunny of necromancers… Yeah she's got some idea about some ancient jewelry… No she's got more power in her pinky than her great gramma."

There was a long pause and I realized I wasn't breathing. Derek's knees were shaking under my hand and I couldn't tell if it was from fear, anger or just the physical strain of pretty much holding us both up. I put less weight on my hands even though I suspected it had nothing to do with the physical strain. I looked up into his face and saw that his eyes were so dilated they looked black. Suddenly I was afraid for Andrew.

I gestured that we should go and he nodded, pulling me straight up off the ground and sweeping an arm under my knees. I was so surprised that I yelped again and was grateful that Derek had kept his hand in place. Regardless now I know it wasn't physical strain that made him shaky because he handled me like I was a goose-down pillow. It DID make it slightly less blush-worthy since I was fairly certain he'd picked me up because I made too much noise when I was being sneaky and he—being two hundred and something pounds of bulky muscle and six foot and 78 inches tall—was extremely talented at being sneaky.

When we were down the hall Derek carefully set me on my feet and took his hand away from my mouth. I whipped around, feeling panicked and thinking quickly.

"Go!" I whispered, pushing him towards his bedroom. "He thinks you're sleeping!" I pushed again, knowing that he was smart enough to know that if Andrew found out he was awake he would know Derek had heard him.

When he resisted with an intense look down at me I mouthed "Please" and he slowly turned. As soon as he was gone I stepped outside the house, closing the front door silently and thanking god that I was wearing my shoes and coat. I listened carefully and when Andrew left the study and turned down the hall towards me I opened the door, slamming it shut behind me.

When I saw Andrew I walked up to him, knowing that avoiding him would be a red flag. "Hi Andrew, I thought about it and I just wanted to say thanks. For everything you've done." I gave him my best adorable harmless blond-now-redhead smile.

I was hoping to see a flash of intense guilt in his eyes, maybe repentance. He might even collapse to his knees and sob into his hands, telling me to take Derek and get away as soon as possible.

No such luck. He just smiled and patted my shoulder. "I appreciate that Chloe. You guys have had such a rough time, I just want to make you feel safe."

I ducked my head and nodded, to hide my disgusted expression. Here was yet another adult, smiling in a kindly way, getting ready to stab me and the people I cared about in the back. "I'll go pack." I murmured, heading up the stairs.

"Chloe?"

I turned around, trying to make my expression as neutral as possible. "Yeah?"

"Pack warmly, it'll be even colder in Canada."

I nodded and I think I said thank you, but I felt numb and lost track of time. Before I realized I had even turned around I was in the second floor hallway, but instead of going to my room I was headed to the library. I went to the computer, which was still on from earlier that morning and opened the file that had the werewolf anthology. I shrunk the pages so they would fit four to a page and set the printer to print front and back. That made it only a fifty or so pages to print.

It was still going to take half an hour to print them all so I took off my undershirt and slipped the _Necromancia_ inside it. It wasn't the biggest book on the planet but I was so annoyingly tiny that it was a tight fit. It was like a thick textbook wrapped in cotton, as safe as I could make it and about as ill-disguised as a cow in a sweatshirt. For some reason I slipped it into my jacket, retying the outer belt. I heard heavy steps on the stairs, too heavy to be Simon and Derek didn't make noise. Andrew.

"Comeoncomeon…" I muttered. As the first step on the second floor landing sounded the last page printed and I snatched the whole stack.

I jammed the papers in my jacket, making the bulk of the book and paper bulge more than my chest would probably ever do on its own. Regardless I crept to the open door and waited silently behind it, peering through the crack.

It _was_ Andrew. He stepped into the hall and stopped right under where my bedroom door was. He looked up and listened. Luckily for me Tori was upstairs, doing her usual huffy stomp down the hall. Andrew didn't know us well enough to know that I tried to be as quiet as I could and Tori hated the idea that any of us might forget her existence for a split-second. (Like we could no matter how hard we tried.)

With a nod--I couldn't see his expression through the little crack--he went back downstairs. I waited another five minutes before carefully looking around the door, then creeped down the hall and up the stairs.

I passed Tori's open door without incident and made it into my room. I had a duffel bag that I had put on my bedspread earlier in the day, which I now ignored. The only things I really needed were my money, most of which I always kept either in my shoe or bra out of habit, and underclothes. I pulled the _Necromancia_ out of my coat and slipped it into a clean pillowcase, still wrapped in my shirt, followed shortly by the werewolf manuscript in the same case.

Both books went in my backpack and as I rifled through my clothes I saw that Tori—who had sorted the laundry most recently—had put one of Derek's shirts with my clothes. Hah hah very funny, yeah that definitely looks like it would fit me.

A light tap at my window made me jump. When I turned and saw Derek perched easily on my windowsill I jumped out of my skin but managed not to scream. When my heart started working again I waved for him to come in, silently closing my bedroom door. The window was still unlocked from the night before and Derek slid inside easily.

"We have to go." I whispered immediately, stepping away from my door.

He nodded but looked down at me with a completely unreadable expression.

"I think Simon and Tori are safe here but I don't know if I feel comfortable leaving them behind." I paced nervously.

I paused in my pacing and turned to look at Derek. I said "I'm sorry," just as he said "Sorry Chloe."

"For what?" we asked each other.

I couldn't help a small smile. "I'm sorry I can't control my powers long enough to keep us all safe."

"That's not your fault." Derek raised his hand, then dropped it to his side again. "I'm sorry you have to run again."

I shook my head, about to tell him that he shouldn't be apologizing when his signature head-cock told me he heard something worth listening to. "Andrew is coming up to check on you." He winced visibly. "Tori heard us talking and told him that you snuck me into your room."

"I don't want to give him any reason to be suspicious of us, get out of here… One o'clock tonight. Meet me behind the tool shed." I whispered quickly, urging him towards the window. "He thinks we're leaving with him willingly tomorrow so we need a plan by tonight. I'll explain later!" I added at the end when he opened his mouth to ask a question.

He closed it with a snap. "Ok." With that he was gone.

I slid the shoulder bag full of books under my bed and concentrated hard as soon as he dropped off the window sill, using my bracelets for the first time. I summoned the ghost of a little boy who had lived in the house and died nearly a hundred years before.

"Whatchu want?" He asked gruffly, looking as menacing as a six-year-old could manage.

"I-I-I thought you m-might want to talk." I said lamely. "You know, about your death." Wow Chloe, best conversation starter ever. _Better than "I'm using you so that the bad guy doesn't think I was plotting to escape."_

"What death?" The boy asked, looking curious instead of alarmed.

Okay. Awkward.

"So you were born in this house?" I asked maybe a little too loudly as Andrew walked towards us down the hall.

"Nah, I got brought here." He shrugged and looked around my room with a grimace. "Your room is way too girly."

"Yeah well I'm a necromancer champ. I have enough dark crap to last a lifetime without decorating like a goth."

"Goth?" The boy asked, walking to my open dresser drawer.

A knock on the door drew my attention. "C-come in." I said nervously.

Andrew pushed open the door with a fixed expression of annoyed worry. "All right Chloe. Where is he?"

"Who?" I asked confusedly.

"I'm standing right here gov." The kid waved his arms and stuck his tongue out at Andrew. I suddenly remembered that Andrew couldn't see ghosts and groaning at my own stupidity.

"You know who Chloe. Where's Derek?" He crossed his arms and gave me a stern look.

"Isn't he in his room?" I asked honestly. I was sure he'd made it back to his room by now.

"Chloe. I heard you talking to someone."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, brightening. "You mean-" I broke off, realizing I had forgotten to ask the boy for his name. "What is your name?"

"Jeremiah." He stated while he rifled through my underwear drawer.

"Sorry. Jeremiah. Hey! Get away from there!"

He gave me a gap-toothed mischief grin. "What are these anyway?" He tried to pick up a thong (which I swear to god were Tori's, really. They must have somehow gotten into my laundry by mistake; you know how staticky laundry can be, there was no way Tori would have put a thong in there on purpose. Simon however…) When his hand passed straight through I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"You can't blame a ghost for teenage hormones Chloe." Andrew sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I would have thought it would be Simon."

I was by the window so I heard a yell of surprise and looked on the lawn. I saw Simon on his butt in the snow, holding a football and waving his fist at Derek who I surmised had just thrown it a little harder than necessary. The werewolf in question was looking at my window. I shook my head subtly and he turned back around, trotting over to give Simon a hand up.

I was a little annoyed that Derek didn't think I could handle _talking_ to Andrew on my own. "There he is." I told Andrew shortly, pointing out the window.

"I-what?" He walked to the window and did a double-take as he saw Derek and Simon tossing a football in the snow, tracks everywhere like they had been playing for awhile. "Then who-?" He cut off as the thong flew across the room and smacked the back of his head.

_Oh God. Could this situation possibly get worse? _I groaned inwardly as Tori walked into the room with a sly triumphant expression. _I had to ask._

Her expression twisted into one of fury as she saw the underwear Andrew was pulling off his head.

"What the hell are you doing with MY underwear??" She demanded, marching across the room and snatching them from Andrew. "You're such a pervert Chloe."

"Hey it's not MY fault you didn't sort the laundry right!" I shot back.

Another pair of underwear flew across the room, blue boy shorts with lace at the waist that were undoubtedly mine. I jumped in the way, trying to catch them but succeeding in only getting hit in the face.

I knew my face was beet-red as I put the underwear back into the drawer and shut it with a snap, cutting straight through Jeremiah's hand. "Was that REALLY necessary?" I asked him.

Tori and Andrew looked at the empty air I was talking to, then back to me like I was all kinds of crazy. "Hey you have temper tantrums I have uppity ghosts." I told Tori with a shrug.

Andrew mumbled something like "So glad I never had kids." And backed out of the room, content with the knowledge that Derek wasn't hiding under my bed, not that he could fit anyway.

"Okay Tori, show's over, out of my room." I shooed her.

With a suspicious look towards where she thought Jeremiah was, she left leaving me alone to release my distraction and wait for midnight.

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**Okay (Woah TWO author's notes! How exciting!), before anyone gets mad about the Andrew thing I just want to say that Kelley Armstrong has said about The Reckoning something along the lines of the safe house not being as safe as they thought. This is just my interpretation of that. Next chapter soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It seemed like it took forever to be past midnight. I asked Derek to ride with me to the necromancer's place when Andrew was in the room and got a shrug in response, typical Derek, nothing to raise alarm. Before sunset I had taken a run around the small hiking trail in the woods surrounding the safe house. We ended up in way too many situations where I had to run for my life for me not to keep up my cardio.

Over dinner I asked Andrew about the Canadian necromancer, trying to be as excited as I could. It wasn't that hard really, I just pretended that Andrew WAS taking me to train under a necromancer, not betray and murder me and my friend.

After dinner Simon and I did our usual practice rounds. Ever since we'd gotten to the safe house he had been teaching me self-defense. The only problem was that we had to figure out and alter a lot of stuff since most of it required strength and I sadly have none. I was quick though, quicker than I gave myself credit for. Derek was obviously faster than me, but I was faster than Simon, and guys about Simon's build and strength were more likely to be my opponents if I was attacked.

I took a really long hot shower after that, enjoying it since I was sure I'd be running again soon and wouldn't reliably have a hot shower or bed for a while. But this time I was prepared, no more alleys or abandoned buildings for Chloe.

I camped out on the upstairs landing after Tori went to her room at eleven and heard as Andrew went to his second floor bedroom at midnight having stayed up to play a game of chess with Simon since Derek beat both of them together. Simon followed half an hour later but I still opted to climb out my window instead of trying to brave the stairs which were about a hundred years old and squeaked on every step.

Awesomely enough there was a trellis next to my window and after stuffing all of my underwear, my toiletries and the misplaced Derek shirt into my bag with the books I crawled out onto it. I wore as many layers as I could, which made climbing a little awkward but I didn't have any real problems until about halfway down. That was when the first thorn pierced through my glove.

I cursed silently for a moment before trying to move carefully down further. No such luck, a massive rose bush had climbed up the trellis, making downward motion pretty much impossible. I bit my lip and crawled down until I was only one story off the ground and the thorns had pierced all over my hands and snagged onto my coat and scarf more than once. If I was brave I would have jumped down from there. Instead I was desperate and jumped, landing with a muffled gasp, somehow managing to keep my backpack from sliding off. For once the weather was on my side, the snow had started coming down again in huge flakes that deadened most sound, including my footsteps.

It felt like an eternity before I rounded the tool shed and found… nothing. Derek was late. I sighed and pushed open the tool shed window, shoving in my bag and scrambling in after it. Almost as soon as we had arrived at the safe house I put a crate under the back window of the tool shed so I would have a back way into a secure hiding place. Later on I had stashed my emergency escape pack behind the lawnmower in the shed, letting my paranoia get the best of me.

Now I was thankful and dragged the tarp that covered the lawnmower off of my pack—which was more like the luggage that prima donna sissy girls took on overseas trips to Siberia—and somehow managed to get it underneath the window. I figured that Derek could get it from there and waited, keeping the window cracked and my eyes pressed against the frame.

It seemed to take ages and I had almost talked myself into running off alone before a big silent figure stepped around the building.

_Thank God._ I thought, but didn't announce myself, if it was Derek then he would pick up my scent and follow it to the shed window. He did.

"Chloe?" A familiar gruff voice asked. Still something held me back. I heard a sigh and then, "Chloe it's Derek. We went to a Chinese restaurant together and you talked to a ghost."

That convinced me. I pushed the window up and caught his collar. He didn't seem surprised, just defied physics to get his huge body through the small window. When I saw the familiar glow of his green-wolf eyes I finally relaxed.

"What took you so long?" I hissed, sitting on the cold concrete floor.

"Simon. He wanted to ask me about my changes, drilled me for an hour." Derek shrugged, slumping tiredly back against the shed wall, he jumped back to a crouch without warning and I yelped. "Where are you hurt?"

"Huh?"

"I can smell your blood."

"Oh that. I pricked my hands on the rose bushes on my way down here." I held up my hands so he could see that my gloves were riddled with little punctures, not sure if even his night vision was good enough for that. "I'm used to getting my fingers pricked though, no biggie."

He grunted and leaned back, satisfied but I still felt the tension pouring off of him in waves.

We were quiet for a moment, both of us avoiding starting the inevitable conversation. "So…" I eventually began. "Andrew wants to kill us."

"Yeah."

"He's not a good guy."

"'Fraid not."

"And we either run tonight or let him."

"Yeah."

"… What are we going to do?" I asked in an embarrassingly small voice after another long silence.

I saw Derek's silhouette droop, his head falling into his hands. "Run." Came his muffled response.

"I was afraid you would say that." I sighed. "But… what do we do about Simon and Tori? They're safe with Andrew, he doesn't think their dangerous. But I don't want to leave Simon behind."

Derek's head snapped up at that but it was still too dark for me to read his expression.

A light tap at the window distracted both of us. I thought it might be… I don't know, a really big clump of snow? But then it sounded again, this time three taps.

Derek sighed resignedly and pushed up the window, letting Simon in. While both Derek and I were dressed to the nines, Simon was wearing his pajamas and bunny slippers. No, I'm totally not kidding, honest to god bunny slippers.

"Ok. You guys have fourteen seconds to tell me what's going on."

"Why fourteen?" I asked.

"Thirteen!"

"You do it." I looked pointedly at Derek, who could definitely see me with his superwolf vision.

"Twelve!"

"Andrew is going to kill me and Chloe tomorrow because he thinks we put you and Tori in danger."

"Elev-Huh? Wait what? How do you put us in danger?"

"You and Tori can mostly control your powers. Derek and I can't." I explained. "We overheard him talking to someone today about getting rid of both of us. We were meeting to try to figure out what to do next."

"And you didn't tell me because…?" I could hear the anger in Simon's voice and winced.

"Because if we run, the less you know the safer you are." Derek said simply.

"I'm coming with you." Simon said instantly.

There was a long silence. I didn't have a problem with Simon coming with us, in fact I'd feel better knowing he was with us. But my conscious just couldn't sentence him to god knows how long without beds and hot meals.

"My locating spell worked tonight." Simon said when neither of us talked. "I told Andrew because you were in your room bro. He said we were going to look for dad as soon as the snow lets up."

My mind raced. Andrew wanted to get Simon to his dad, I knew that. But I also knew that Andrew thought he was doing the humanitarian thing by getting rid of me and Derek before we hurt anyone. In a way he had managed to twist things around so it seemed like WE were the bad guys.

"Simon…" I began. "I'd feel more comfortable if you came with us…"

"It's not like-" Derek started but I shushed him.

"But if you can safely take advantage of Andrew's resources then that seems like the best thing to do. Both me and Derek will be able to come back if you have your dad with you, he'd make sure Andrew didn't do anything to hurt us."

"Come on guys!" Simon protested. "Andrew is just ONE guy, we can totally tie him up and like, keep him in the basement or something."

I laughed shortly. "That's definitely not the best way to take advantage of Andrew's resources and find your dad. I think the best thing we can do is lie low and rely on you to find your dad. Hopefully that will only take a few days, then we can all meet up again." _And take down the Edison Group._ I thought but decided we had too much on our plates all ready to add that little statement. "We're facebook friends so we can check those in the morning and night. When Andrew has either seen the light or been smacked around by your dad, you message me with a number and we'll call you."

Simon's whole body seemed to want to argue but he took a minute before responding to my brilliant proposal. "Derek?" Was all he said.

"It's the best we've got. We'll stay within twenty miles." Derek rumbled.

"I don't like it." Simon said stubbornly.

"How about when all this is over we go on a camping trip?" I coaxed. "A real camping trip, with swimming and smores and I'll even get Derek to buy some alcohol. We can be normal rambunctious teens. There might even be ghost stories… told by real ghosts." I laid my hand on Simon's arm, which I realized was bare. "Jeez! Get back inside before you get hypothermia!"

"Pshh. I just have to cuddle with Derek if I need to warm up." Simon joked, but his heart wasn't in it. "Ok Love, you drive a hard bargain. If you wear a bikini for the swimming part then you may have just about bribed me."

"Done. Bikini _and_ cinnamon graham crackers for the smores."

Simon put his hand on the back of my neck. "Only a few days right?"

"The instant you find your dad we'll be on our way… or giving you directions to pick us up." I wrapped my fingers around his upper arm and smiled reassuringly in the direction of his face.

It was so dark that I was completely and utterly surprised when Simon's lips touched mine. It was a sweet kiss, but there was no way anyone could have called it brotherly unless they were very confused about boundaries.

Being the experienced and accomplished flirt that I was, I froze completely. A crack made me jump, breaking away from Simon's lips. I don't think the kiss had been very long, and there was definitely no PG-13 action but I still felt really flustered. I mean, it was my first kiss, and a small part of my brain seemed edgy, like I'd given it to the wrong person.

"Sorry." Derek rumbled. "Stepped on a board."

I was ninety nine point nine percent sure that I saw him silently drop the two halves of a two by four he'd been holding, not stepping on. My cheeks flamed as Simon let his fingers trail away from my neck slowly.

"So you're heading out tonight?"

"Yeah." Derek answered.

"… Ok. Looks like there's really no other options here. I don't want you guys dead, and I want to find dad ASAP." Simon sighed heavily. "In two days I want to meet up with you guys, dad or no dad. Just promise me this is the last time we split up, I'm getting annoyed with this worrying crap."

"P-P-Pinky swear." I stuttered, still flummoxed by being kissed by Simon.

"Heh. All right, I've got your word on that." Simon stood and stamped his feet in his bunny slippers. "Time to head out before I freeze to death."

"Yeah. Be careful. Don't turn your back on Andrew, and keep us updated." Derek opened the shed window yet again, letting in a blast of frigid air and helping Simon up and out.

"Be safe!" Simon said through the gap once he was through and Derek shut the window.

I waited until Derek kneeled down again, signaling that he could no longer hear or smell Simon. The muffling blanket of the snow suddenly seemed to be working against me, I felt like I could have cut the tension and silence in the cabin with a knife. I could tell Derek was angry, I could also tell that he was trying to pretend he wasn't, which was not working. Waves of fury poured off him like flood waters, drowning every corner of the small shed and I found myself rethinking my decision to run off into the woods with a teenage werewolf with temper problems like an atom bomb.

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**Hey guys, I just wanted to say that I am super exhausted and am taking a nap in two minutes so I'm not going to do my usual role-call to my readers. But that doesn't mean you're not my homies! Thank you all for being the bee's knees, I'll update again soon... when I'm awake.**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Since so many people have commented on my updating speed I will enlighten you all. I am getting this done as fast as I can because I want to have it finished before The Reckoning comes out. I know that when I read that it will influence me and influence all of you so I want to make this as pure to my current idea and plot-line as I can.**

**Shout out to my regulars and new readers! XOXO**

**-Az**

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Chapter 7

"I-I don't suppose you have a getaway vehicle stashed anywhere nearby?" I asked hopefully.

Without a word he stood and walked past me, leaving me to drag my gigantic luggage and shoulder bag in his wake.

He pulled the tarp off of what I had thought was a lawnmower but when my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw what Derek was standing beside and my heart crashed. A motorcycle. Granted, a motorcycle with a sidecar, but a motorcycle. In winter. That looked like it had last been ridden in the forties.

"It'll run. I've been fixing it up since we got here."

"It will run where? _We'll_ run where?" I wasn't physically tired but I felt the weight of my new life dragging at my nerves. A giggle bubbled up and I couldn't stop it, a kind of hysterical laughter. "W-Wasn't there a m-movie about a w-werewolf and motorcycles? L-Like t-twilight or something. I don't think it went well."

Derek glared at me but went over to push open the shed's doors. It was a great start to our next adventure of necessity. I pulled my bags to the side car and put the backpack in, then looked at the monster bag. Then at Derek. Then at the bag again.

"You're not going to fit in the sidecar with that thing." His tone clearly said I was over packed.

"Well I guess my luggage will have to hold on to you during the ride. Oh wait." I waited and after about a minute of battling wills Derek put the bag in the side car.

I followed him out of the shed while he pushed the bike easily. I quickly realized that he was planning on pushing the bike out of hearing range of the house and I prepared myself for a long walk.

A long silent walk as it turned out. It took over half an hour of plodding through snow before we hit the main road, a little two-lane country lane that dumped out onto the highway after a few miles.

"Helmets?" I asked hopefully as I looked at the snowy road, wary of patches of black ice.

Derek straddled the bike and pulled me up behind him without so much as a glance and kicked the contraption of death into gear. I wrapped my arms around his waist tightly and used his broad back to hide my face from the wind as he started down the road.

I thought the drive would be cold but the wind bit mercilessly up the gaps in my sleeves and through my jeans like they weren't even there. Derek helped a little, being so warm naturally, but his heavy sweater and jacket actually trapped most of that warmth. I balled up my fists in his jacket, trying to keep my fingers safely on the inside. My lips and nose felt like they had icicles hanging from them and as soon as we had put over ten miles of distance between us and the house I yelled at Derek to find a place to stop.

I thought he hadn't heard me as he didn't slow down but when we approached a sign for a national park with camping areas I pointed and he nodded. At least I think he did, because he pulled onto the little dirt side road, blowing straight past the sign that read "Closed for the season." The road past the sign hadn't been plowed but since this was the first real snowfall of winter we managed to make it to the first camp ground without falling over, trapping half of our bodies under the bike and skidding until we fell off a cliff. But maybe I was being dramatic.

"We can camp out in the bathrooms." Derek yelled over the storm, getting off and pushing the bike behind the small concrete structure. "The walls should give us some protection from the wind."

I ignored him and unzipped my gigantic bag, pulling out a nylon stuff sack about the size of small tent. Which it totally was. Like I said, there was no way I was sleeping in an alley again if I had any say in the matter.

The wind was luckily blowing towards the bathrooms from the road so after Derek propped the bike up against the wall I unrolled the tent next to it. It wasn't anything fancy, just a tiny two person shelter that I had absolutely no idea how to put up. After a few minutes of putting poles together and trying to figure out where they went in the pitch black darkness Derek took over. After that the tent was up in under five minutes, complete with the outer shell for rain or in this case, wind and snow. I grabbed two of the three sleeping bags I had stashed (I was serious when I said it was a monster piece of luggage!), took off my coat and crawled into the tent with my feet sticking out. I shook as much snow off my coat outside as I could before laying it down with the inside facing up.

I was turning to take off my shoes when another jacket was laid next to mine, fleece liner up. Derek didn't look at me but copied my motions, taking off shoes and putting them inside the tent in a corner. I unrolled the sleeping bags, they were probably about a decade old and smelled like mothballs but they were thick and I crawled into mine with a sigh of relief.

It was still about twenty degrees below freezing-my-ass-off outside but with most of the wind blocked and Derek putting his super-radiator abilities to good use the tent was definitely not the worst place we had ever had to crash. The only problem was Derek's height. He was too tall to stretch out and so ended up laying on his back with his knees up, a fine position for hanging out, but not so much for sleeping.

I turned to face him, sleeping bag up to my chin. It was too dark to see anything besides a vague silhouette but one reflective green eye flicked to me before looking at the ceiling of the tent again. I reached out to touch his arm but he moved back as far as the tent would allow, which was about an inch, but it was enough for me to get the message. I snapped my arm back to my side, feeling a little hurt and a lot confused.

"D-d-d-d-d-d…" I couldn't even start his name. I cringed and felt embarrassed; my stuttering hadn't been this bad since second grade. I took a few deep breaths and got ready to try again.

"Just spit it out Chloe." Derek snapped.

I was so shocked that I froze, mouth halfway open. People got annoyed with my speech impediment, or thought it meant that I was stupid, but Derek had never been one of those people. Even in Lyle House he was patient with me, he never made me feel… inadequate. I was so humiliated that tears welled up in my eyes and I could do nothing to stop them. I flipped over to my other side, back to him so he wouldn't see me crying.

I knew I wouldn't see my friends from high school again, being a necromancer had made sure of that. The only friends I had now were the ones I had met at Lyle house, and though it was entirely one-sided I had always felt that Derek was my closest friend. Simon may have put in more hours with me, flirting, drawing and teaching, but he just hadn't been through the kind of things that Derek and I had. I watched his body literally reject his humanity, and he watched me torment people by accidentally putting their souls into their decomposing bodies. For him to get pissed about my stuttering now was a slap in the face.

I managed to get control of myself after a few tears streaked down my face and I hurriedly wiped them off.

"Good-" I stopped myself from saying "goodnight," if I started stuttering over the word I would just feel more humiliated and after the night I had just had I couldn't deal with any more emotional trauma. I pulled the sleeping bag up to my ears instead and worked on going to sleep.

It was surprisingly easy, I was so exhausted that my body just didn't have enough energy to keep awake. As I drifted off I heard a voice drift across my consciousness. It was deep and familiar and meant safety and strength but for the life of me I couldn't remember whose it was. It said something like, "God I'm so sorry Chloe. So so sorry."

I wanted to tell the person that it was okay, that I was okay, that I knew they would never hurt me but my tongue got so tangled up just trying to form words that I couldn't get anything out.

I felt myself trying to speak without making any sounds and then people were nearby, but I was behind bars in a sterile room. I tried to call out to them, reaching as my mom, my dad, Aunt Lauren, Simon, Rae and even Tori walked right past my door without seeing me. I knew none of them had the key to get me out but they knew who did and if I could just get them to hear me they would go get him.

Suddenly he was there, back to me, and all I could see was black hair and the hint of a strong, very masculine profile. He was looking around himself, calling my name but he just didn't quite turn far enough to find me. I knew that if I said something, anything, he would be able to see me but I had no voice.

I woke up with the wind howling, confused for a minute about where I was, then remembering. Some time in the night Derek had rolled to his side, facing me. Naturally since there was about four inches of space in the tent my back was pressed against his chest, his legs crooked to fit behind mine.

I was too tired to care, too tired to even bother remembering about anything. The only thing that really registered to me was that my head was bent forward and it was uncomfortable so I put it up on my pillow and let myself go back to sleep.

The next time I woke up it was light outside. I arched my back and yawned, rubbing my eyes. My pillow was a lot less plushy then I remembered it being. Then I remembered that I hadn't brought a pillow and turned my head slowly to the side. There was a big hand, and big forearm, elbow and then the rest seemed to disappear under my head.

"So. Can I have my arm back?" Derek asked.

I shot upright, cheeks flaming. I took a moment to get my heart to slow down and for the blood to go to other parts of my body besides my face. "Sorry." I mumbled, completely embarrassed.

"It's not a problem." He replied.

I glanced at him, but his eyes were serious and seemed somehow… softer than the night before. I blushed again and wiggled out of my sleeping bag without looking at him. We pulled on our coats and packed the tent in silence; after we brushed our teeth with melted snow and frozen toothpaste (Not easy to do) we started pushing the bike back on the road. Okay, so maybe Derek pushed the bike while I provided critical moral support.

"You know, you talk in your sleep." Derek commented idly as we got the bike out of the snow that had built up on the roads overnight.

"Huh?!" I answered intelligently. "I do not!"

"What were you dreaming about?" He asked, ignoring my protests.

I thought, all I remembered from the night before was waking up at some point, then waking up again in the morning, no dreams in between. "I don't think I dreamed last night. If I did I don't remember them."

"Hmm." Was his response.

"So…?" I pressed.

"So? What?"

"What did I say in my sleep?!"

"Oh that. Something about a lawnmower turning into a unicycle." He shot an amused look at me.

I stopped dead. "I did not!"

"These ears don't lie."

"Well you can tell them that they are wrong. I don't talk in my sleep and I don't dream about unicycles!"

"Pink unicycles." He added blandly.

"Ok. Now you're just cruising for a bruising." I rolled up my sleeve menacingly. "Get over here so I can kick your butt."

I actually got a smile then. I think it was the first time I had seen Derek really smile in a place that was well-lit. And a sunny day after a heavy snowfall is nothing if not bright. It was… nice. He had kind of sharp canines, but human-sharp not wolf-sharp so his smile looked a little… well… okay there's really not a adjective better. His smile was wolfish.

"Chloe?"

I started, realized I had been staring and flushed scarlet, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I've never seen you really smile before." I said honestly, keeping my eyes glued to the road in front of me. "It's nice."

It was his turn to blush, or I guess flush since blushing isn't really a guy thing. But Derek totally blushed and I had to stifle a giggle.

We walked in silence until we reached the ticket booth with the closed sign on it. He got on the bike and as I was climbing up behind him, caught my hand, his eyes downcast.

"Chloe I… I'm sorry. For last night." He wouldn't look me in the face as he said it, like he was ashamed. "You've never been cruel to me and it wasn't right that I was to you." His jaw clenched, like he was angry. I knew from his past and from his personality that he was angry with himself.

"It's okay." I said after a minute. "Yesterday was pretty brutal. I forgive you."

He nodded shortly but his jaw didn't relax. "Thanks."

"Hey." I touched his cheek briefly, getting his attention. "Since you owe me you have to do me a favor."

"Anything." He said seriously, not looking away from my eyes.

"Forgive yourself." I swung my leg over the bike and gripped his waist. "Also stop for helmets at the first place you see that has them."

That earned me another short smile over his shoulder. "Deal."

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It took a little while but we found a decent sized town with a sports shop and I bought us two helmets after we ate breakfast at a local diner. The kind of helmets that cover your whole head with a big visor in front. The ones that the cool rebellious teens wear in the movies. But I got them because it was cold as balls outside and I wanted my face to not freeze. Unfortunately they only had a few left, I got a plain black one for Derek, which I thought he would like, and had to get a gray one with pink racing stripes for myself. It was the only small they had and I chose safety over style.

When I went back outside Derek was leaning against the bike, looking surprisingly… cool I guess. He definitely didn't look like a seventeen year old, in a jacket that actually fit him and jeans that maybe fit him _too_ well. A group of girls about our age were hanging outside the ice cream shop, which was next to the sports shop and across the street from Derek and the bike.

"Oooh, he's kinda cute. You know, in a bad boy sort of way." One of the girls was whispering.

I glanced at Derek, nearly thirty feet away and saw his mouth twitch, werewolf hearing strikes again.

"Bad _man_ sort of way." Another corrected with a giggle.

"I wonder how old he is?" The first girl responded.

"Seventeen, 6'6", Taurus and can bench-press a small truck." I said as I passed them.

That shut them up. For about two seconds. Then the giggling went into high gear and I rolled my eyes as I crossed the street.

"Taurus?" Derek asked as I tossed him his helmet.

"With your stubborn streak and bull-headedness that was an easy one." I grinned and slipped my helmet over my head, getting up behind him on the bike and watching the girls out of the corner of my eye as we pulled out.

They watched the bike leave like it was the messiah, open-mouthed, and I laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Derek didn't have to tell me where we were heading, as soon as I recognized the road we were on from the bus ride, I knew. Syracuse, more specifically Bear Valley. Headquarters of The Pack. It made sense, since every person we'd gone to that we thought were friends had tried to kill us or hand us over to the Edison Group, why not go to the people who we knew were dangerous, powerful, and would at least be upfront about killing us.

Still, as we got closer I got more nervous. I didn't think they would kill us, but I doubted they would be happy to see us either. By mid-afternoon we pulled up to a big stone wall and iron gate. Derek pulled off his helmet and stuck it in the sidecar.

"Should we ring the bell or something?"

"They know we're here." Derek said. "And we're staying outside the gate until someone invites us in."

"Okay." I kept holding onto his waist even though we weren't moving. I wanted to feel as reassured as possible and Derek was just about the safest person on the planet to be with.

"Hello Pup." A smooth woman's voice came over an intercom that I hadn't noticed before. Her voice was like caramel over steel and just a teensy bit intimidating. "Any particular reason you're here?"

Derek got off the bike and walked to the intercom, pushing the talk button. "I respectfully request an audience." He backed up with his hands held open and out from his sides, trying to look as not menacing as possible.

"And the girl?" The woman asked.

Derek pressed the button again. "She's with me, I can explain everything if you give me the opportunity."

"Well then come in Derek." She replied and the gate started opening.

"Well if that's not scary as hell then I don't know what is." I said lightly.

"Not the time for jokes Chloe." He got back on the bike and started it up, pulling through the gate and driving up the long gravel driveway. Seriously long, like more than a mile.

A man was sitting on the steps, built a lot like Derek but with blond curls and older. The manuscript I was reading said that werewolves age slowly so just because he looked mid-thirties didn't tell me much.

"Come on in Derek." He said with a distinct Cajun kind of drawl when Derek shut off the bike.

Derek did not take his eyes of the man for a second and when I got off the bike he kept me on the opposite side of him. I'd never felt so much tension in him as he gripped my forearm so hard I was sure I would bruise.

As I passed the man looked at me curiously. But his blue eyes were hard, saying that even though he didn't see us as a threat for now, he would tear us apart in an instant if he decided we were dangerous. I heard him mutter under his breath, "Well we're just gettin all kinds of guests this week."

I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my spine and I reached out to Derek's hand.

"It's okay Chloe." He murmured. "Try to relax."

I snorted shortly and shot him a look, trying to say _Relax? Are you kidding me?_ with my eyes. I must have succeeded because he rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb in a soothing gesture while not taking his own advice. If he'd been in wolf form then his hackles would be at full attention.

We walked straight down a large hallway that opened into an airy living room where a woman sat on the end of a couch, legs crossed languidly. The man we had seen on the steps was standing behind her, hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa." I couldn't help but say.

Derek shot me the "bad Chloe" look but the man just grinned. His smile was like Derek's, big sharp teeth, wolfish but infinitely more guarded. And let's face it, I never ever would have thought to find a smile more guarded than Derek's.

"Welcome Derek." The woman said. "We've been wondering when you would drop by and introduce yourself. This is Clay, and you can call me Elena, I am Jeremy's spokesperson while he's out of town."

The woman's looks matched her voice, caramel over steel. She was beautiful in a striking intimidating way but I could see dozens of small white scars marking her arms, neck and even one on her jaw. Her eyes were hard like Clay's, but I was beginning to understand that they were hard the way Derek's got when there was a potential threat to his friends or family around. They said clearly that they were willing to do whatever necessary to protect their family, even if it meant killing us.

For some reason this insight made me feel a little better, sure they might kill us but they would only do it for a good reason.

"Elena." Derek began awkwardly, he clearly would feel better calling her something more formal. "My friend and I came to see you because we… because I thought you should be alerted to a situation in progress on your territory."

"Hmm… using a warning for us as an introduction. Very smart young man." She smiled and her smile was again like the others, wolfish and predatorial. "But bringing an outsider was not very smart."

By now Clay had walked around to the other part of the couch and was halfway to sitting down when Elena swung her legs up, blocking his way. He scowled at her while she didn't take her eyes off of us and tossed her legs back onto the ground, dropping defiantly into the now vacant seat.

"P-Please ma'am." I stepped forward, ignoring Derek as he tried to pull me back. "I'm a supernatural too, I found Derek when he was going through his change for the first time. He kind of had to explain to me afterwards what had been going on."

"You found him when he was beginning to change? And you didn't run?" Elena arched an eyebrow and kicked Clay in the kneecap. "I find that hard to believe."

I found it hard to believe that the two people in charge of ruling the werewolves in New York were having a mock power-battle as we spoke. "Derek was the one who didn't run first." I looked over my shoulder at Derek who was giving me the shut-up-now-or-I'll-throttle-you-later glare. "You see, I'm a necromancer, but I was told that it was in my head and I was just schizophrenic so when I ended up trapped in a crawlspace with two zombies crawling over me I panicked a little." I looked and saw that Elena now had both eyebrows up. "Okay I panicked completely. Derek found me and calmed me down enough to put them back to rest. If he hadn't been there… I don't even want to think about it. So when I found him in trouble there was no way I could turn my back and run."

"A necromancer?" Elena considered me, then waved Clay forward.

In an instant he was in front of me and I felt Derek's control snap. "No!" I held him with my gaze over my shoulder before meeting Clay's eyes.

Derek didn't relax but I knew he wouldn't attack either, it would be condemning both of us to death. Clay leaned down, a long way since I was more than a foot shorter than him. He sniffed at my neck and I felt every hair on my body raise but I took a deep shaking breath and stayed still.

"There is the scent of another man on your mate." Clay told Derek without taking his eyes off me.

"My brother." Derek said in a surprisingly calm voice. But I felt the hum of his energy increase.

"He's not a werewolf?" Clay asked.

"Foster brother. His father rescued me from The Edison Group." Derek's energy was hitting my back like a heat wave, Clay didn't seem to have any energy that I could tell other than the usual. I guessed it was because he had had a lot more time to control his emotions.

Clay leaned down again and sniffed my lips. "Is this foster brother of yours still alive?"

"Of course!" I burst out. "Derek would never hurt Simon!"

Clay grinned down at me. "He knew that his brother kissed you and he didn't kill him? That's a lot of self-control darlin'. He must really care about him."

I blushed but stared at him blankly. Why would Derek kill Simon over something as stupid as a kiss?

The question must have been written on my face because Clay's grin dropped like a rock. "You have no idea do you little girl?" He looked at Derek and blinked, then took a step back from me. "Neither of you do." He met Elena's gaze, and they seemed to come to some kind of understanding.

"We will hear you out Derek. You're very lucky I'm in such a good mood and that you have a girl as brave as… Chloe was it?" Elena asked, though I knew that she could have easily heard Derek saying my name in the hall.

"Yes ma'am." Derek said quietly.

I wasn't sure if he was agreeing that my name was Chloe or that he was lucky she was in a good mood or he was lucky to have me around. Elena seemed to know though as she smiled secretively. I was about to spontaneously combust from curiosity but managed to control myself.

"Please sit D-… Antonio take Katie and Logan upstairs please, I think they've had enough eavesdropping for one night." Elena's gaze flicked quickly to a werewolf standing well back from the rest of us and two little golden-haired heads peeking around the doorframe.

A little girl was pushed into view, she couldn't have been more than three but she whipped around with a vicious snarl and pounced out of sight. I heard more snarling and yelps and then two children went rolling across the floor past the doorframe and out of sight again. The requested werewolf sighed and walked after them, grabbing a pair of elbow-length heavy leather gloves on his way.

Clay watched him go with a tender, fond expression, like the two wild creatures that just went scrapping past were sweet puppies. I saw the resemblance, they had his hair and eyes but her bone structure. They were pretty much a big dose of concentrated trouble.

I glanced back at Derek with a bewildered expression and he subtly shrugged but looked like he was fighting to keep his expression from mirroring mine.

"Sit down Derek. Chloe, Clay will show you to a place that you two can stay tonight, I suspect that Derek and I will have a lot to talk about."

Derek put his hand on the back of my neck possessively, wary gaze flicking from Clay to Elena and back again.

"Don' worry pup. I left my chainsaw in the shed." Clay smiled reassuringly but the gesture was somehow feral when he did it.

Oh. That's why Derek didn't want me alone with him, he was supposedly responsible for chopping up some unlucky werewolf with a chainsaw. I looked up at Derek—who had told me that he thought the pictures were photo-shopped and saw my own thoughts echoed in his eyes. After meeting Clay I was about a hundred and twenty percent sure that they were the real deal. He just didn't seem like the kind of guy who would bother with forging photos when he could do the dirty work in person.

Derek looked like every fiber of his being protested the idea of me being taken somewhere else with a psychopath but he only let his eyes show it as he looked at me.

"Y-You gotta trust them if you want them to trust us." I said quietly, even though I knew that everyone around me could hear and I felt like I was signing my own death warrant. "Don't worry about me. Just tell them everything you know."

Derek's eyes hardened and he tilted his head in what could generously be called a nod, but I could still feel all of his power and energy reaching out to me. I did something I had never tried before and touched that power with a little of my own. It sent a shock through me and from Derek's face, him too.

"Fascinating." Elena murmured, looking from one of us to the other. "I swear that unless she tries first, Clay won't kill or maim her on the way to your cabin. Right Honey?"

"You're the boss." But his feral sort of smile didn't disappear entirely and I shivered again.

I watched as Clay walked to the doorway. He didn't slow down, assuming I would follow him and I did, Derek's fingers still touching the back of my neck until I was out of reach. I took a deep breath and walked into a nest of werewolves, leaving my safety net behind.

To my relief Clay led me to a little cottage just outside of the main house, until the thought occurred to me that it might be the tool shed with the alleged chainsaw. But it was stone but had nice big windows and when he pushed open the door and I peered inside from a safe distance I saw that it was what it appeared to be a rustic guest house. When we went inside I saw that it was designed like a studio apartment without the kitchen. It was a big room with what looked like a queen-sized bed against one wall and a door leading to the bathroom on the opposite side. There was a love seat and armchair as well, but no sofa, nothing except the bed to sleep on.

_Okay Chloe, no time to get embarrassed now. You shared a tent with Derek last night that was way smaller than that bed, you can deal with this._ I turned to Clay with a nervous smile. "We really appreciate this. Derek has wanted to meet with you guys for a long time."

"We've been keeping tabs on him. He's extremely bright and except for one incident, not violent." He walked to the door. "As long as he doesn't do anything stupid then you both should leave here with minimal scarring."

I wasn't sure if I should laugh, but the cold look in Clay's eyes answered for me. It wasn't time to let my guard down yet.

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	9. Chapter 9

**I felt so bad about having NO author's note last time that I'm giving you another chapter! Because I love you. My sweetheart banned me from updating until I finished my novel--that I've written two chapters of :p and so I had to update the last chapter in secret. I am the Lisbeth Salandar of the fanfiction world.**

**Now for some lovin.**

**Silver Bird- Welcome to the fold. I have enjoyed following your progression through your reviews! Your flattery is part of the reason that I'm updating again so soon, I'm just a big ole sucker.**

**Yoli- Clay and Elena are characters in the "grown up" series that Kelley Armstrong writes, the books are amazing and totally worth checking out while you're waiting for The Reckoning, start with Bitten.  
**

**Burnin Bright and Smilin in Rain-I love Clay and Elena, I think they are just about the most awesome fictional couple in the world, second only to Chloe and Derek.  
**

**Ghost X- I'm trying to write Clayna as accurately as possible but it's really weird to write Elena in third person when her stories are usually told through first! Thanks for your ongoing fanship, it's awesome.  
**

**Greek Freak- I am so jealous about Puerto Rico! What the heck were you doing there? I'm glad you got to come back and have a few chapters to read!**

**Jamie, Mr., Moon Lover, Angle Girl, NY Girl, FC- I get so excited when I check my reviews and see all the positive stuff you all have written. It's what really motivates me to write, knowing that I can entertain fans of Kelley Armstrong, super flattering.  
**

**Killah Panda- I totally want to punch Simon along with you and I wrote it! If you read Dangerous then you get a pretty good idea of just how much of a flirt and ladies man Simon really is. Assuming a goodbye kiss from him is welcome is totally in line with that aspect of his personality.  
**

**Black Heart- with this chapter I will have posted almost fifty pages of the story, I've completed a hundred and ten pages and have at least forty more to go so I really need to get crackin. It's entirely possible that Derek does know but we all know how high his self-esteem is, it would be unlike him to advertise and he may be in denial, especially since he sees himself as dangerous and repulsive. Will address the one bed thing soon ~.^**

**Without further ado and exhausting babbling, I give you....**

***drum roll***

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Chapter 9

Derek was gone for hours.

I started a fire in the fireplace, tossing in some pine logs and waiting for them to catch. Then I hung my snow-damp jeans on the fire grate and took a shower, a long one. I washed my hair and shaved my legs even though as a natural blond I had like three hairs. And yes, I packed a razor okay? Nobody likes having hairy arm pits, even when they're on the run. I also scrubbed my face with soap about fifteen times. It had obviously caused some sort of fuss that the wolves could smell Simon on me and I wanted to be as little trouble as I could.

The dye was starting to come out so my hair was looking strawberry blond instead of vixen red. The strawberry blond may have suited me more but I liked feeling a little more grown up with the darker red hair.

I put my flannel shirt and jeans back on, which I had put on top of the radiator and had dried out while I was in the shower. I took as long as I could combing my hair and putting it up in a ponytail. When I finally stepped out of the steamy bathroom I saw a bowl of something on the little table next to the armchair. I approached it cautiously like it was sentient. It was a little clay pot with handles on the side and a lid on top. When I took the lid off a wave of pot-roast scented steam hit my face. I didn't have to have Derek's senses to tell me there was rosemary in the thick gravy and the meat was so tender that I could cut it with the spoon that had been left for me.

I considered waiting for Derek, just so he could tell me if it was poison or not. My words to him came back to haunt me, _you gotta trust them if you want them to trust us._ I sighed, after the past few months I had come to trust nobody except for Simon and Derek. They had my back and were in the same situation I was, everyone else seemed to be trying to kill or dissect us.

My stomach growled loudly and I gave the little pot my most pathetic wide-eyed doe look, hoping that it would be seduced by the overwhelming adorableness of my gaze and reveal its secrets. No such luck. I decided to go for it since I was pretty sure if the werewolves wanted me dead they'd be upfront about it.

It was possibly the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. I guess that when you're a werewolf you naturally are a good cook, with the heightened senses of smell and all. I didn't know if their sense of taste was enhanced or not, note _to self: ask Derek when he finally gets his butt back here_.

When I had all but licked the bowl clean I rinsed it out in the bathroom sink and sat on the armchair. It was times like these that I wished my life were more like a movie. Not more adventure though, I had enough of that to last a lifetime. But the part where you see the heroine sitting anxiously, waiting for her fate to be decided or her lover to return to her. _Lover?? _I asked myself. _Where the heck did THAT come from? Ninety percent of the time Derek barely tolerates me and the other ten percent he's flat out annoyed with me! Definitely not any love or even like involved there._

Still… I had guiltily caught myself thinking about him every now and then, but even Tori had looked at him differently after she ran into him coming out of the shower in just a towel. While I was sure that Tori would never flirt with Derek—she saw herself as way too good for either of the boys now—something still bothered me about the way she looked at him every now and then.

_You mean exactly like how you look at him?_ I thought accusingly. I couldn't even use the desperate excuse since Simon was the first boy to kiss me I didn't have anything really to miss. I touched my mouth absently. We'd been so busy that I had never had time to absorb the fact that Simon had _kissed _me. I found myself blushing at the memory but also being a little annoyed with him, because of that little impulse I'd nearly gotten us in trouble with the pack and I didn't even know why.

I gave up trying to be a patient little heroine and asked the werewolf who just happened to be hanging out outside my cabin (like I was going to be able to escape a pack of bionic wolf-people) if I could get my shoulder bag from the bike. He walked me around the house and we talked a little. His name was Nick, and he was so handsome it was just stupid (even though he wasn't even my type)—must be a werewolf thing. He was actually pretty nice and felt sorry for me and Derek, especially Derek as he was caught in between his change. While we were at the bike I moved the camp food from my big bag to my smaller shoulder bag in case I got hungry and Derek could always eat. I also was surprised when I found my knife—the souvenir I'd gotten from the street urchin girl way back when—stuffed in a corner of the bag and discreetly put it in my pocket while Nick was looking away.

When we got back to my cabin I offered to let him come in where it was warm but he'd just smiled at me.

"That's pretty sweet little miss. But if your boy smelled me in there with you he'd probably see red, which is something neither of you needs right now." He gave me a lop-sided grin that was more friendly dog than wolf.

I frowned. "Why does everyone keep saying that? Derek has had some problems with his temper in the past but only when Simon… or me was in real danger. Not something stupid and frivolous."

He gave me another smile, one that was caught between keeping a really happy secret and being a little sad and sat down on the porch—neither accepting nor rejecting my invitation. I left the door cracked open so the heat from the fire would get out to the porch and curled up in the loveseat with the werewolf manuscript. I wanted to read up on pack mentality and learn how to have the best manners, being a different supernatural benefiting from their hospitality.

The first thing that I looked up was living arrangements, where I found that werewolf packs had several behavioral quirks that mirrored a wolf pack. They couldn't refuse a direct order from their Alpha--the absent Jeremy person who I thought would probably be about eight feet tall and built like Schwarzenegger for real--and they slept in puppy piles. Which explained the one bed thing. It was normal for pack members to be extremely affectionate with one another and sleep with several people in one bed... sans clothing. Oh boy, this could get awkward.

I took a moment to be really impressed that Derek had been functioning this long outside of a real pack with other werewolves. No wonder his human and wolf halves had so much trouble reconciling, he'd been completely conditioned to live like a human. Humans didn't see it as acceptable to sleep naked with more than one other person. It also explained why he usually slept in boxers instead of real pajamas. Another note to self: get Derek a teddy bear to cuddle.

I tried to read again but was distracted by the fire, all the moving and dancing flames, I'm not Rae or anything but fire was really pretty...

I must have drifted off because I was woken up by a huge wrenching feeling, like my body was being turned inside out. I shot up, trembling and ran to the cabin door. The werewolf guard wasn't there anymore but I suspected someone was watching from somewhere nearby. I didn't care as I ran down the cabin steps and into the snow in my bare feet.

"Derek!" The name slipped out of my mouth, tinged with a desperate worry. Something felt… not exactly wrong, but definitely different.

I felt overwhelmed for some reason and barely registered my cold feet. It felt like an eternity later but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes that a big dark shape started resolving out of the dark and the closer it got the better and safer I felt.

"D-Derek?" I squinted and gasped when I saw not a huge guy but a huge wolf stepping hesitantly closer to me.

The black shape with glowing reflective green eyes should have freaked me out, but I would know those eyes anywhere and I ran forward, forgetting that he was afraid of not being himself when he was in wolf form.

"You did it!" I exclaimed, dropping to my knees and throwing my arms around his neck, which was a lot further above my head than I thought. I ran my hands over his glossy black fur and looked into his eyes. "You look amazing!"

Wolf-Derek made a kind of growling rumbly noise that sounded a lot like his laugh when he was human and I smiled at him.

Part of me was a little sad that I couldn't be there for him in his last change but I was also glad that it was over with so we at least didn't have to worry about _that_ anymore.

His dark head butted against me gently and I laughed, putting my arms around his neck again.

A chorus of howls made me look at the forest and Wolf-Derek licked my cheek then pulled away. It took me a minute to process but my hand slowly raised to my face, touching the wet kiss and I blushed so hard that I thought I would pass out. Derek looked at the forest before looking pointedly at my now soaked jeans and bare feet, then at the cabin door with a low growl that wasn't laughter.

I sighed and stood. "Go run around, catch a rabbit." I shooed him and backed towards the door, watching as he disappeared into the night.

I waited until he was gone before I went inside, the chill finally catching up to me. I hoped that he would be gone for a few hours as I stripped off my jeans and hung them up on the grate again. I stood there in my flannel and underwear, feeling uncomfortably exposed, then remembered Derek's shirt in my bag.

I debated for about fifteen seconds then stripped off the rest of my clothes and pulled on the black shirt that fell to my knees, and Derek was wearing clothes that fit him now. After our run in with Liam and Ramon Derek figured out that while baggy clothes might make him look chubby and possibly an iota less intimidating, it was a huge drawback in a fight. Liam had nearly killed Derek because his sweatshirt had been big enough for him to jerk him back like a leash.

Since then he had ditched the baggy clothes in favor of fitting clothes, which weren't like spandex or anything, but didn't give him as big of a disadvantage in fights either. Regardless, this meant that a shirt that fit Derek was like a mini dress on me. But it was a comfy cotton dress so I dragged the love seat around so it was facing the front door but next to the fire before brushing my teeth. I thought about washing my face but figured the shower would suffice, besides, I didn't want to wash off the wolf-kiss on my cheek. I wasn't sure why but for some reason a lick from Derek on my cheek in his wolf form made me tingle just as much as a kiss from Simon on the mouth.

I spent a few hours reading more on werewolves. I found some interesting things out about werewolf mates. Not that I was interested in that sort of thing, just curious… seriously. _Anyway_, I read that werewolf mates were more about souls, or spirits or whatever you want to call them—the book said "wild spirits" which was a little too hippy for me. So if they found someone with a spirit they were drawn too, they would bond with that person for life, whether they were a werewolf or not.

I was just beginning to read up on the signs that differentiated between a mated and unmated werewolf when I felt my eyelids fluttering and the words blurring together. I yawned and after reading the same sentence four times without absorbing it I put the manuscript on the floor in front of me and rested my head on the arm of my chair. I was determined to wait for Derek to get back so I could ask him about his first run but it was so hard to keep my eyes open and I closed them just for a minute.

_I dreamed. I dreamed that I was running along a forest floor, my paws disappearing in the deep snow. Everything smelled amazing and interesting, there were no bad smells. The moonlit night was in grayscale but my vision didn't mean anything anyway, it was the smells, and the sounds, that gave everything layers and layers of texture and life._

_There were other bodies running beside me, just as excited by the night and the smells. We all turned as one when we caught the scent of prey, I knew that I was strong enough and dominant enough to be alpha, but I had no desire to take over this pack. If I had then they wouldn't have let me run with them. I had my own pack which I tried to be the alpha of but kept letting a slip of a girl be dominant. A special girl who smelled like a field of strawberries…_

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**Next chapter in a few days!**

**XOXO**

**Az.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay guys, I said it would be a few days but SOMEONE guilted me into it (yes that would be you Greek Freak. Sigh, so high maintenance). But this is it! Deal with it, find a support group, chase your tail etc. Anyway, I'm going to do a general shout out from now on and only specifically respond to reviews that ask questions, I love you all but I think most people reading this are not in it for the author's notes, no matter how adorable I am. This chap is super long so hopefully it will tide you over for the time being.**

**Burning Bright- Some extra southern speech patters may pop up every now and then because I'm a southern girl, it's just natural for me.**

**Jamie- Yes it is. ~.^**

**Black Heart- You didn't ask a question but it was cute that you got excited by your moment of fame so here's another! Round of applause.**

**Love it- Here's your fix! Jeez you make me feel guilty like I'm selling crack or something. :P  
**

Chapter 10

A brush against my forehead woke me up. Probably from the wind, which meant that the door was open, which meant that someone opened it.

I started awake and saw a silhouette in between me and the fire. My reading lamp had been turned off so the only illumination in the room came from the coals in the fireplace.

"Hey." A familiar voice said.

"You're blocking the fire Hulk." I mumbled and saw a flash of white before he moved to sit on the chair arm opposite from me. I blinked and stretched languidly, then pushed myself into a sitting position. My legs were tucked under me but felt wonderfully tingly like I had just run a mile. My shirt had moved its way up to mid-thigh, the way nightshirts and nightgowns do. The thin healing scar peeked out from under it and I saw Derek wince out of the corner of my eye. I tugged down the hem. "So how was it?"

The dying coals cast a warm light across his body and I saw that he was wearing his clothes from earlier, at least, some of them. The jeans and shirt, but the jacket, sweater and boots were in a pile inside the door. His hair was a mess, it was soft-looking like fur but had leaves stuck in it. Likewise his eyes were a little wild, they had the depth of color and shadows that wolf eyes have and his iris seemed bigger than usual.

I giggled and rocked forward on my knees, pulling leaves out of his hair. "You're a mess." As I pulled the last leaf out I realized that when I stood on my knees my face just below Derek's. When he looked down at me our eyes locked. I felt my heart start stutter and dropped back quickly to my side of the love seat. "D-d-do you feel b-better?" I stammered.

"Slow down." He rumbled, still watching my face intently. "I feel really… good."

It didn't help. I had to close my eyes before I felt like I could talk. "I mean that…" I took a breath. "It seemed like your human and wolf were kind of fighting in your body."

"Yeah…" He looked into the fire. "I wasn't… I wasn't very good at thinking of them as one person."

"I know what you mean." I said quietly. When he glanced at me I smiled. "Reconciling the differences between Chloe the Performing Arts student, potential director, quiet, nerdy girl who didn't talk to boys with Chloe the necromancer who is friends with a werewolf and has power over the dead and gets followed around by rotting things like some kind of demonic pied piper… It's not easy making those fit together."

He was looking away again and I thought he wasn't listening but he nodded. "It's easy for… Simon. Being a sorcerer isn't-"

"Simon!" I gasped suddenly. "Oh my gosh! We said we'd check email and-"

"I checked." Derek interrupted. His voice seemed several octaves deeper than before. "He just said that Andrew was "upset and confused" about our sudden departure."

"Yeah right." I muttered. "Well at least he's not going to hurt Simon or Tori… as far as we know."

Derek didn't say anything but stood up. "You should get some rest."

"Hey I'm not the one who was out chasing rabbits! You need it more than I do." I stood up too, feeling way too small sitting down, unfortunately it really didn't make much of a difference.

"I need a lot less sleep than-… what are you wearing?" He cut off and looked down at the black t-shirt that dwarfed me.

I looked down too, like I was seeing it for the first time. "Oh… Tori accidentally on purpose put it with my laundry. I brought it to give it back but then my jeans got snowy when I went out earlier… so… I-I mean, I was just going to wear it tonight… If you don't mind."

I fidgeted under Derek's unreadable gaze. "No." He said finally. "I don't mind."

"So." I flopped back down on the couch, a little flustered. "What were we arguing about?"

Derek actually smiled then, a real smile. "No idea."

_Wolves and their stupid smiles._ I thought with a mental eye roll at myself as for the millionth time I blushed.

Derek picked up the printed manuscript off of the ground and flipped through it. "You've been reading this?"

"I thought it would be good to know my manners for our hosts. How long are we staying here by the way?"

"A few days at most." As he flipped through the pages I saw clearly the, you-are-so-busted brow furrow.

I would bet my eyeteeth that he knew I'd been reading it at the safe house.

"Tell me about your run." I said to change the subject.

Derek threw himself down on the love seat cushions this time. "What do you want to know?"

"Well everything! I mean, I'm never going to actually change shape and for the most part it looks pretty painful but… I guess… was it worth it?"

For the first time since I met him Derek seemed content in his own skin. He was unusually talkative as he described being a wolf as best as he could. My favorite part was the smells, he described smelling like it was the senses of taste, touch and sight all rolled into one.

I leaned my head on the loveseat's arm and closed my eyes while listening to Derek describe chasing a squirrel, which was a mental image I would keep for the rest of my life because in my mind's eye he was still human Derek.

"Chloe?"

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times. "Sorry, did I-" I yawned with what felt like my whole body. "… fall asleep?"

"Go to bed."

"But I want to hear more about the squirrel!" I protested sleepily.

"Tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"… I Promise."

I stood up, feeling rumpled and fuzzy and went to the big bed. As I tugged down the covers and crawled under them I had a sudden moment of clarity and turned to Derek who was now standing in front of the fire, leaning on the mantelpiece.

It must have been the firelight but he looked like something that I couldn't put my finger on. Something like stability or strength or consistency. I knew that those things were and weren't what he reminded me of and I gave up trying to think of it.

"Hey where are you going to sleep?" I asked, remembering what I'd meant to say.

"I probably won't tonight. Too much to think about, to process."

I mustered up my best menacing sleepy glare. "That's idiotic. You can process in the morning."

"Go to sleep Chloe."

I sighed, knowing that he was just as stubborn as I was and arguing wouldn't get either of us anywhere except mad. I debated for a second, thinking about what I'd read about werewolves being cuddlers. "Fine. But if you get tired then you can sleep on top of the covers."

"Thanks for the permission." His said dryly.

"Anytime, night Derek." I rolled to face the wall, feeling like I disappeared beneath the layers of comforter and pile of pillows, it was awesome.

He didn't respond but barely five minutes had passed before I felt the bed next to me dip. I smiled and went back to sleep.

The smell of breakfast woke up Derek, and his stomach growling woke me up, because I was laying on it.

"Yeow!" I nearly fell off the bed as I realized that I had once again used Derek as a pillow. "S-Sorry!"

He just rolled his eyes. "If you're going to sleep on me at night you have to stop freaking out about it in the morning." He got off the bed and I saw that he had slept in his jeans and t-shirt on top of the covers. Totally kosher, and still I couldn't look at him as I gathered my pants and heavy knit sweater and escaped to change in the bathroom.

I washed my face again and went about the rest of my morning toiletry routine. When I finally braved the outside world I found Derek talking to my werewolf guard in low tones. They didn't seem to be fighting but something about the way they were standing was weird. Derek was physically bigger but at least two decades younger. Even Nick looked edgy, he smiled a little too much and seemed to have trouble maintaining eye-contact.

As I pulled on my socks and sneakers I realized that if he had a tail it would probably be tucked between his legs. It was submissive behavior. Derek wasn't a part of the pack but the lower ranking wolves treated him like an alpha, I doubted that they would take orders from him but they would definitely avoid him when they could.

"Ready to go?" I asked Derek.

He glanced over his shoulder at me. "Yeah."

"Morning Nick, are you coming too?" I asked my guard with a bright smile.

He nodded but kept his distance as we walked.

Breakfast was… interesting. It was family style with enough food to feed a small army, which the werewolves ate like. I had three pancakes, which was a huge breakfast for me, and my meal looked minuscule compared to everyone else's. Derek had probably close to a dozen pancakes AND a veritable mountain of ham slices. It took me a minute to realize that everyone had a similar portion of food. Breakfast of champions—no really, like it would take four boxing champions to eat as much as one werewolf.

The kids alone were a menace, like an eating tornado with teeth. Clay and Elena tolerated them eating with their hands but when the boy—Logan I think—tried to actually climb on top of the table Clay hooked his pants and pulled him solidly back into his own seat. The kid didn't even cry or complain, just kept eating.

I helped with the dishes, even though I could only carry a small stack of plates while Elena could probably have carried the whole table full to the kitchen. But washing was a different matter, super strength didn't make much of a difference when it came to actually washing dishes.

After cleanup I walked into the dining room to find the only occupants left Derek and Clay. Two alpha-type males sitting at opposite sides of the table, hackles raised and arguing about… Halo 3. Huh, well I guess even werewolves have to be boys sometimes.

"Come here Chloe." Elena said from the kitchen doorway. "I want to talk to you."

Derek's head snapped up, then his gaze shunted to Elena. She gave him a reassuring nod and he hesitated for only a moment longer.

"Hello? Big girl right here." I pointed at myself and gave Derek my best disparaging look. When his expression didn't change I turned and went into the kitchen. "Yes ma'am?"

"Chloe if you don't start calling me Elena I'm going to start biting." She laughed, showing her strong sharp teeth. "Come with me."

We walked outside and I followed Elena around the edge of the snowy yard and into a glass building I had only glimpsed the day before.

"A greenhouse?" I asked and gasped with pleasure when she opened the door to a green garden. "It's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it. I don't really garden, I like watching how things grow wild but one my friends Paige set this up for me." She sat on a lawn chair, crossing her long legs and gestured to the chair across from her. When I sat she said, "I hear you've been reading the manuscript."

"I didn't know it was called that, but I guess you mean the book about werewolves." I looked at the lavender plant next to me. "I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to. I just… I wanted to help Derek."

When I looked at her Elena nodded. "If it were anyone else, any other outsider, we would have a serious problem. But your case is… unique. Jeremy has decided against any sort of reprimand."

"Thank you." _Though_ _I don't know if I want to be indebted to someone I've never met._ I thought warily. We sat in relatively uncomfortable (on my side, I don't think anything I could do would make Elena uncomfortable) silence for a few minutes. "H-How was Derek last night? I don't mean to pry but I would like to know if you guys did something that I didn't do that helped."

Elena considered me. "In a way. Derek was having so much trouble shifting because his mind couldn't accept not being fully human, but his body isn't human. Not shifting when you're meant to is like… I suppose it's a little like being constipated." She grinned as I cocked my head to the side, trying to consolidate the visual metaphor with the seriousness of the subject. "It's not pretty, it backs things up inside your body that should be released, it makes you sick, it can be debilitating if you try to hold back forever."

"Well… That mental image aside, I kind of figured that Derek's body was rejecting his humanity. Part of it may be my fault because I avoided him a lot in the past few weeks."

"Why is that?"

"He… confuses me. I think that necromancers and werewolves have some kind of connection. I've been trying to research it but it's not in either your manuscript or the _Necromancia_. I'm still pretty new to this whole necromancer thing and just getting the basics down is hard enough, I just wanted to figure out my own powers before the whole connection thing."

Elena considered me, it felt like she was seeing at me for the first time, and seeing through me. "Do you have that connection with any of us?"

"… No. I mean, I haven't felt it, but I figured that you guys were better at containing and controlling your energy and emotions than Derek is."

"Have you considered that it may just be that you have a connection with Derek?"

I thought about it and shrugged, trying to be objective and blushless. "Maybe. But I've still got too much to figure out to jump to any conclusions."

"You're an interesting kid Chloe Saunders. Interesting but a little naïve… and jumpy." She pointed to the lavender plant next to me. "That's supposed to help calm nerves, it doesn't work as well as sex but…" She gave me an appraising look. "I don't think you consider that _that_ is an option."

I blushed to the roots of my hair. "Th-Thank you. That's really nice." I plucked a small stem and ran it over in my hands nervously. "Do you think he'll be ok now? I know he was having a hard time… being a werewolf."

"Yes. It seems that he had so much trouble letting go of his humanity because he thought it would scare you away." She gave me a slightly annoyed look.

I assumed she meant all of us, Simon and his dad, his pack for the most part with the temporary addition of me. "That's pretty silly. I mean, I raise the dead—which in movies is cool but in real life is pretty horrible—and Simon would stand by Derek no matter what happened." I rubbed my face tiredly, trying not to think about what I'd have to do if the current pack substitute alpha was annoyed with me. "It scares me personally a heck of a lot more when he tries to just be human. It's like there's a war in his body and he's always on the losing side"

I hadn't meant to say so much to Elena, but after being cooped up, avoiding talking to Derek because he confused me and then not being able to talk to anyone about that confusion… the words kept slipping out. I couldn't talk to Andrew even before he betrayed us because he was scared of Derek. I couldn't talk to Simon because I knew Derek would feel like a monster if I was talking about him behind his back, and processing with Tori was just laughable. Aunt Lauren was dead, I didn't know for sure but I felt it in my gut, and I couldn't contact my dad…

I guess I'd been pretty lonely.

"Derek is starting to… accept. He might have the make of a good leader someday."

"He makes a good leader now." I smiled, remembering all the times he had saved our butts and coordinated escape plans.

"… Yes. I suppose he does." She was watching me with an odd expression. "If you want to help him if he has trouble with a transformation in the future, which he no doubt will—being surrounded by pack energy lubricated the process tremendously last night—just tell him that you accept him as a werewolf."

"He knows that." I protested. "If I didn't accept him then I wouldn't stick around. I'm here because he's my friend, not because I pity him."

"Men can be dense." Elena smiled at the roof, clearly thinking about someone other than Derek. "Sometimes you have to beat them into believing that you love them." This was said in a way that instead of evoking adorable images of Elena beating Clay with a big fluffy heart, evoked an image of Elena beating the crap out of Clay and enjoying it.

"…Can I ask you a kinda personal question?" I asked after a moment's awkward silence.

"Hmmm… I don't know if there is any way to know if it is too personal until you ask. So how about you ask and then I'll decide if I want to answer."

Well gee, that wasn't intimidating. "Uhmm… I wanted to ask if you and Clay were… mates, if that's the PC term."

She smiled brilliantly. "It's a little old-fashioned but yes we are. But I will let him know that you find him attractive, I'm sure he will be flattered."

I blushed crimson. "I-I-I-I d-didn't-"

She sighed, rolling her eyes at my gullibility. "Why do you ask?"

"I've just… been reading about it. The book is kind of objective, it doesn't really explain that whole process. I just wondered how that worked."

She raised an eyebrow. "The same way it works with every other kind of animal."

I gave her a suspicious look. "You're teasing me again."

She graced me with a non-committal shrug.

"I meant like, the book says it's forever, but marriage is supposed to be a life-long commitment too."

"Any particular reason you're interested?" She gave me a searching look but started talking again before I answered. "The term actually refers to a specific kind of bond that is deeper than a human to human connection can ever be. It's different than marriage, it's a little like falling in love with the same person every time you see them. You can try to run away, you can even be in relationships with other people, but a part of your heart will be missing. If that person dies then you might find another compatible partner, but that hole will always be there. It's unheard of for someone to get mated a second time. It's actually fairly unusual for werewolves to get mated at all in our era."

"Why is that? If you don't mind me asking."

"You're very polite you know that? It's weird after living with the pack… Anyway, finding a mate is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. You're trying to find one person who doesn't know you're looking for them, and you don't know what they look like or even how old they are. You may even meet your mate but the timing isn't right so neither of you know it."

"Woah…" My head reeled. "So… how do you find them?"

"Smell is a big part of it." Elena tapped her nose. "But usually when you meet your mate—especially for the guys—there is an almost overwhelming urge to protect that person, even if you're meeting for the first time. And…" She paused, grinning predatorily. "The sexual attraction is like a drug, and it never ever slacks."

I think my face was going to stay cherry-tomato colored for the rest of my life. "That sounds… really annoying… The book made all this seem a lot easier." I finished in a grumble.

Elena stood and stretched, eyes following Clay as he walked through the yard. "Things usually are simpler on paper." With that she silently crept after her mate, a wicked gleam in her eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! I know you all missed me. **

**Kayla and Kenhat-Thank you for the very very high compliment, Kelley Armstrong has a wonderful writing style, there's no need to mess with it. And I love Clay, he's such an adorable little over-protective sociopath ^-^ so cute.  
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**Mr.- Totally. They're all cutsy first lovey-without-ever-mentioning-it-to-each-other-because-they-have-low-self-esteemy  
**

**Black Heart- I don't know if you've read the Women of the Otherworld series but they are of the *ahem* _adult_ persuasion. Elena and Clay in particular are super hardcore randy and it's something that everyone in the pack jokes about openly. She's not going "you. go screw that thar werewolf." so much as she's urging her to be affectionate and really doesn't know how to be subtle. Seriously, her way of negotiating usually involves a pipe. So don't you worry, I'm not having Chloe throw herself at Derek in a moment of flaming passion where she rips off his clothes (how's THAT for a mental image) because it would be OOC.**

**Ghost- Hold your horses. Soon.**

**Greek Freak- =P Neh. Just neh.**

**Everyone else- You guys are amazing, I've had just about 3,000 readers!!! I'm so lucky to have the amazing support you're providing me. Seriously it's a catch 22, the more you love me, the more I want to write which makes you love me more which makes me... you get the picture. Thank you all so much!**

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Chapter 11

Elena returned about fifteen minutes later, articles of clothing missing (nothing essential! … pervs.), hair irretrievably mussed and looking temporarily sated, she told me she had to do paperwork. I tried to imagine it but just couldn't without giggling. I wondered if invoices were like "Clay caught four rabbits on Friday the eighteenth, two more than the allotted number."She then gave me permission to hang out in the greenhouse while I did my reading and made her exit. It was nice to be around plants again. I liked being surrounded by living things and the leafless trees and dead grass of winter had been making me edgy. I didn't think that I could raise an army of zombie daffodils but I so did not want to test it.

I spent the morning reading, but not about werewolves, I needed a break from them. I stopped when Derek brought me a sandwich.

"Hey. Lunch." He handed me the plate and sat in the chair Elena had used earlier in the day. The chair—unlike everything else on the planet that was usually a little small for him while it was a little big for me—fit him just fine while it engulfed me. Convenient werewolf accommodations.

"Thanks." I put my book aside and dug in, it was a BLT with extra crunch which I realized was potato chips.

When I raised my eyebrow at Derek he shrugged. "The rest ate theirs like that, I tried it and liked it."

"It's super tasty, I like it a lot… thank you." I ate quickly so the tomato wouldn't make the potato chips soggy.

"I also brought…" He pulled a little jar from his pocket. "Dessert."

I took the jar carefully. It was a plain unmarked mason jar, about eight ounces with something orangey in it. "What…?" I cracked the lid and was hit with one of my favorite scents in the world. Peaches. "Oh my gosh!"

Derek smiled and produced two forks. "Elena thought you would like them."

I sniffed them, I got the freshness of the peaches—probably canned on the same day they were picked—vanilla bean and a little hint of lavender. It may have been all the talk of scents from the night before but I felt like my sense of smell was a little better than usual. I ignored the fork for the first slice, delicately picking it out of the jar and eating it in one bite.

It was amazing. It was like they had even canned the fuzzy flavor of fresh peaches. I handed Derek the jar and slumped down in my chair.

"Chloe?" He asked, halfway amused and halfway worried.

I held up a finger and swallowed. "Oh god." I moaned.

"You okay?" Amusement won out and his green eyes sparkled.

"Total foodgasm."

He laughed at that. It was amazing how much happier he seemed, grumbly Derek was still special to me, but laughing Derek made my head feel light. I felt like nothing could hurt us again, like we weren't on the run for our lives. At least not for the next few hours.

"Your turn." I urged.

Derek took the more civilized approach with a fork but his eyes still widened when he ate his slice.

"I know right?" I grinned. "Elena _has_ to give me the recipe."

"I can tell you what's in it if you want." Derek rumbled. "If you promise to make this all the time."

I felt my eyes crinkle at that. I would need much much bigger jars for Derek-sized portions. "Speaking of promises…"

"Hmm?" He was eating another slice.

"Hey! Give me those before you consume them all you bottomless pit!" I grabbed at the jar but he held it over my head.

"What promise?"

"You said you'd tell me more about the squirrel!" I had to stand up to get the jar back.

"Oh that." His cheeks colored. "There's not much else to tell."

I walked deeper into the greenhouse, ducking behind a big rosemary plant.

"Chloe?"

"I'm dumping the peaches in the compost unless you tell me about it."

"Chloe there is no compost in here."

"… Fine. I'm scarfing them then." I got another slice.

I had nearly finished it when I saw Derek's shoes coming around the rosemary's plot. He looked down at me, crouched down with a jar of peaches held possessively and grinned.

"You look ridiculous."

I stood and scooted backwards with the jar held behind my back. "I was kinda hoping the rosemary would hide me for a little longer than that. Regardless! I won't give these babies up until you keep your promise."

"It would take more than a rosemary bush to hide your scent." He rumbled, reaching his freakishly long arms around me and plucking the peaches easily out of my hands.

"Great. I'm short and smell bad." I rolled my eyes and started back to my chair, keeping my back to him so he wouldn't see the color rushing to my face.

Derek caught my arm. "I never said you smelled bad."

Our eyes locked for a split-second and I felt that weird fluttering in my stomach, the one that wasn't definitively good or bad, just new and surprising every time I felt it.

"Derek?" A smoky velvety voice came from the door of the greenhouse.

One thing was certain, it was _not_ Elena.

His eyes shifted sideways and he handed me back the jar. I felt like an idiot as I held it, open-mouthed as he turned and walked away. I followed more slowly, taking time to relearn how to close my jaw. When I got back to the chairs I saw a woman talking with Derek, a real red-head—almost burgundy. Her eyes were golden-brown and long and slanted.

As she smiled at him, I felt a curl of something hot in the pit of my stomach that was completely different from the fluttering. I'd never felt so aware of my lack of height and curves.

"Lola is a half-demon, she can temporarily shape-shift." Derek introduced shortly.

"I can almost do it for half an hour now!" She stamped her foot and pouted prettily at him.

I took a breath, now would be the worst time to start stuttering. "Hi." I said.

She smiled again, at me this time, and I couldn't help but wonder if I saw a little bit of mocking in that smile. _Lola_ had the body of a lingerie model, leggy and busty. I felt like I was getting younger just by looking at her. While Derek was looking away she sniffed in my direction and wrinkled her nose delicately.

_So much for not smelling bad._ I thought, shifting my weight uncomfortably.

"Come on Derek." She wrapped long red-tipped fingernails around his bicep. "You promised to take a run with me."

I felt the pit of my stomach drop somewhere below sea level. I think it was because I hadn't been there for his final transformation and now this woman was acting all kinds of friendly, insult to injury or something.

_What is it Chloe? Do you not think Derek deserves to be found attractive by a beautiful woman?_ I asked myself. _After all, Simon did kiss you, it's only fair and you couldn't have honestly thought that the shallow girls would keep their paws off him now that the puberty smack down had been smacked down. _I looked at him, having the stray thought that if we could bottle werewolf changes then we would put proactiv out of business overnight. _  
_

"I didn't promise you anything." Derek pulled away from her grip gently but firmly, eyes on my face and my inner Chloe did a happy in-your-face-Lola! dance.

"Aww come on D, it'll be fun." She coaxed.

"Yeah go ahead." I smiled with false brightness, caving in to my feelings of guilt. "I was just going to be boring and read some more anyway."

Derek looked like he wanted to argue but he didn't resist as Lola tugged him out of the greenhouse. I watched him be led away with the smile still plastered onto my face. I instinctively didn't trust Lola, though I couldn't quite figure out why. It was either her perfect hair or perfect body. Or her perfect voice.

I realized I'd been standing in the same spot for several minutes and tried to get myself moving. It was like I was swimming in molasses.

"Come on Chloe, get it together!" I muttered to myself, scooping up my reading materials and marching back to the cabin.

I spent the afternoon trying to read, I was to the history of the practical portion of my book and reading about the original Dracula figure, count Vlad "The Impaler" Dracula. He pissed off the leader of the Turkish army keep them away from his castle he killed envoys and scouts in really horrible ways and strung them up on his castle walls. Then summoned their souls back into their bodies so they would hang there screaming, trapped in their rotting corpses. But what really got to the enemy army was that when they took down the bodies and tried to bury them, they would keep struggling and screaming.

They had a powerful spiritual person with them who found that the corpses could be put to rest if they were beheaded, had a stake driven through their heart and were purified with holy water and a cross. Bet you can never guess which myth about immortals THAT started.

Despite knowing how to lay them to rest, the castle unnerved the soldiers so much that many of them deserted if they were ordered to attack it. So it was a super evil thing to do but in a way it worked.

Since then necromancers have experimented with the dismembering technique and found that it did put a corpse back to rest, but it was so messy and took so long that it was only used if the necromancer in question used so much of their power that they were literally tapped out. The cross and holy water weren't necessary but beheading and destroying the heart definitely were. Necromancy was more about magic than biology though so it made me wonder if it actually killed them or just incapacitated them with the souls still trapped inside. The only upside of that was that once the necromancer who raised them died, they would be released. Not much of a bright side there.

I was so jittery after reading that that trying to meditate to calm down didn't work, and pacing agitatedly didn't help much either. Finally I went outside, Nick had been relieved from his post, I guess they finally figured out that I couldn't outrun them, and I walked around the house to the bike, grabbing my big suitcase and dragging it back with me. Inside I had a few changes of clothes, the camping gear including some extra camp food, and my mp3 player.

It usually calmed me down to create soundtracks for movies that I planned out but I was too wound up even for that and ended up just listening to Fiddler on the Roof… yeah yeah, shut up. I like it okay? Sunrise Sunset makes me cry every time.

I did what felt like a hundred jumping jacks and a couple handstands. I liked doing them in smaller spaces to practice my coordination and balance control. You never know when gymnastics will save you from an elite squad of Edison group marines, trust me it's happened.

I showered out of boredom (and to try to smell less like whatever had made Lola wrinkle her nose) and dressed in sweatpants and a pink long-sleeved shirt. I settled into the loveseat with my mp3 player and Pendulum's CD Hold Your Colour playing… Still my brain kept creating images of Lola and Derek together.

In one I imagined that she was a spy from the Edison group, luring Derek away from the house and to a team of commandos with guns. When I pushed that image away I saw Lola shooting him herself with a gun. I was pretty sure that she wasn't that evil, that I just didn't like her because she was beautiful and made me feel small and insignificant.

Suddenly I had a simpler image of her kissing Derek. It wasn't like she was threatening his well-being or anything, but it disturbed me most of all. Next I saw Derek kissing her and my fists clenched in the slipcover of the loveseat.

_Get a grip girl!_ I chastised myself. _He's not your boyfriend! He doesn't even like you half the time!_

My inner voice had a quick response to that. "_But you wish he did._"

I looked at my inner voice like it was crazy. _I do not wish that Derek liked me, I'm fine with him thinking I'm an idiot and running around with **Lola**._ I felt an involuntary chill run down my spine.

The voice sounded smug next. "_Oh I'm so convinced. I bet that if Lola and Derek-_"

_STOP! _I told it. Feeling a little schizophrenic (for real this time)._  
_

_"You know he is naked when he changes back from being a wolf. I bet Lola didn't mind the view."_

"What is _wrong_ with me?" I whispered to myself. "It's not like I'm in _love_ with Derek."


	12. Chapter 12

**This is for all the members of WHLSJTTHDWBTWBWCWDSBAGTH out there (check reviews if you don't know what I'm talking about). Just a quick heads up, in this chapter there is a part that seems OOC but I will explain it all later and it makes sense. Just be patient =P**

**Black Heart- Thanks for the heads up about the sp. error, I got it fixed as soon as you told me!**

**Write More Please- Heh, I bet that's your real name too. Thank you so much for the flattery, I was thinking about updating again tonight but it was more of a passing "hmmm maybe I should do that" and then I read your review and was like "I'm going to update!" Don't hate me too much but I really don't spend too much time planning, I find that when I over-think things they seem a little rehearsed, there's a TON of editing though! The nice thing is that I've actually almost finished the story, with this chapter I'll have posted 60 pages of the story and I've written over 100 so you don't have to wait for me to get inspired, it's already there.**

**Ghost- This one is for you! It's a little bit of a tease, I guess I've got a bit of a mean streak in me =D**

**Emo Taco and Silver Bird- Lola is like mid to late twenties. But thanks to makeup and plastic surgery I guess we'll never know! And yes, Lola needed to come along to get Chloe moving in the right direction.**

**Ken Hat- Feel free to ask questions, if you don't want answers posted in the Author's Notes you can message me. **

**Same goes for everyone else!  
**

**Enjoy!  
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Chapter 11

I had finally shut my inner voice up and settled down to meditate when I felt the shot.

I had gotten to the point in my meditation where I started coasting in that not-quite-sleep relaxation place. I was floating weightless, then suddenly I felt my feet slamming against the frozen ground, cracks sounding overhead. I saw the flash of a red tail in the trees way ahead of me and felt a surge of anger. That red piece of tail was the reason I was in this situation. Suddenly there was another crack and searing pain shot up through my back leg, I stumbled but kept running, determined to get home.

My eyes sprang open. I was sure that there would be a tear through my left leg but it was whole and I wasn't out in the woods, I was inside the cabin. But I knew that flash of red had been Lola, which made me believe that the body I had shared for an instant was Derek's.

Maybe Elena was right and I had some sort of empathy bond with him. Regardless I knew I had to get out there and help him stat. I ran outside without putting my shoes on. In my vision the shadows had been facing forwards, leading, so I needed to head towards the setting sun to find Derek.

I took off, running as fast as I could in the snow, grateful for keeping up with my cardio while at the safe house. I didn't have to go far, I found the huge black wolf limping towards the house about half a mile into the woods.

He was panting and his back leg trailed blood, making my heart falter. I felt a little better when I heard him growl at me. Clearly if he felt well enough to reprimand me for running out to find him, he was going to be okay.

What really scared me was the crashing and shouts I heard coming from behind him. I threw myself in between Derek and the noise just in time as two men in orange vests burst through the thicket, rifles in hand.

"S-Stop!" I screamed.

They stopped when they saw me, arms outstretched, clearly protecting a wounded wolf, but didn't lower their guns. Derek's growling reached a furious pitch and I interpreted it to mean "Get the fuck away from here this instant or I am going to yell at you for hours."

I ignored him. I would be happy if he yelled at me for hours as long as he survived this encounter.

"What the hell are you doing girl?" One of the men asked, sounding out of breath but calm, rifle sighted under my arm. I moved a little to get in front of it. "Get out of the way."

"You're on private property! Leave now and we won't press charges." I was surprised and pleased to hear that my voice held steady as I spoke.

"I'm sure the owners will be happy to have one less predator on their land." The younger of the men said, voice and face expressionless, looking more like a sniper than a hunter.

"Actually I bet they'd be happy to have two less predators on their land, and since this is a wolf sanctuary I bet you can't figure out who the predator is here." I snapped back sarcastically. "Now get out before we charge you with poaching."

That made them pause. "Girl don't you know it's hunting season?" The older said finally. "If this really is a wolf _sanctuary_ then there would be signs for it."

"It's a _private_ sanctuary gentlemen." A voice said from behind me, I didn't look away from the men but was grateful that Elena had come to back me up.

"And you ignored our signs." Clay stepped out from the woods on my right.

"And the seven foot fence." Nick joined us from the left.

"Chloe sweetheart, get _Spot_ to the _vet's_. We'll work something out with these… men." Elena said coldly, stepping in front of me and dropping her fleece jacket on my shoulders. "Go now."

I didn't question her, just whirled and dashed to Derek's side. I dropped to one knee next to him, glancing over the damage and wincing. "Dogs put most of their weight on their front legs, move it!" I hissed and sprang back up before my pants got completely soaked.

He gave me a disparaging look but moved quickly next to me. We went straight to the cabin since it was closest. I'd left the door open so we got in quickly and I ran into the bathroom, grabbing a stack of towels and the first aid kit. When I came back out Derek was halfway through changing back and I turned my back, blushing despite the situation. His side had been facing me so I hadn't seen anything but it was the principal of the (Derek naked) matter.

I walked backwards, holding a towel out behind me and waited a few moments after he took it.

"I'm decent." He said hoarsely.

I turned and looked him over. He looked a little pale and his leg had heavy blood running down it. "Did the bullet go through?" I asked anxiously. When he shook his head I frowned. "We have to get it out before you heal over it."

"Just get me some pliers Dr. Doolittle."

I made a face but rummaged through the first aid kit, finding the medical pliers. "M-Move the towel."

"This is hardly the time Chloe." He drawled, managing to miraculously find his sense of humor for the first time ever just when I so did not need it.

"Move. The. Towel." I ground out, glaring at him despite my red face.

With a hiss he peeled the towel away from his thigh. The flesh around the wound looked like it was already trying to knit itself back together, making the full change seemed to have more benefits than just rocking hair and skin. I turned on the lamp and bent over his leg, breathing a sigh of relief when I found that I could see the end of the bullet. It looked like it must have ricocheted into his flesh from a tree unless his fur was made of steel and slowed it down. I pulled out a pair of latex gloves when Derek shook his head.

"What?" I asked.

"You don't need them. My blood won't infect you."

"Oookay. Totally asking about that later." I spread the muscle with my fingertips and glanced up at his face, warning him with my eyes.

He was fixated on the ceiling but he nodded shortly. I took a moment to appreciate what I was about to do, since becoming a necromancer and hanging out with a werewolf I'd definitely become tougher—it was just a side-effect of fighting to survive. Simon had taught me how to fight physically (well, the basics anyway) and how to deal with flirting and bantering. Derek had taught me how to stay calm and focused in perilous situations and how to stand up to someone bigger than me. I had to learn to argue for myself after living with Tori for more than a week. I'm not claiming to be Lara Croft or Lisbeth Salandar or anything, but I had learned to do what was necessary when it was necessary.

With a deep breath I eased the pliers into the wound, wincing every time the grip slipped on the end of the bullet before I finally got it and pulled it gently out. The process was comparatively quick but he was still sweating from, you know, having amateur surgery without any anesthetic. I smiled up at him and waved the pliers.

"Souvenir?"

He took the bullet and I went back to dressing his leg, pouring iodine on it before cleaning the blood off of the immediate area with sterile wipes and pressing gauze pads to the still oozing hole.

I tried to ignore how big and muscular he was as I wrapped his thigh in gauze and tied it tight. It was not easy, I mean anyone would have trouble focusing, Derek was pretty ripped, it was a just werewolf thing. Nothing to blush over.

_Yeah right. _

I heard the footsteps on the porch. I didn't look up until I was finished with the knot, when I did I saw Clay and Elena in the room.

"How are you doing?" Elena asked and Derek showed the bullet.

"What happened?" Clay asked completely calmly, brushing off the young werewolf bleeding on his carpet as though it was routine. Come to think of it, considering the people I was around, it may have been completely normal.

I went to the bathroom to wash his blood off my hands and get a washcloth damp with warm water but left the door open to listen.

"Lola took me on a tour of the perimeter. While I stopped to look at… something." He glanced at me pointedly as I walked back in the room and I guessed that he had found a corpse. Was it bad that I thought it was sweet that he'd checked to see if a corpse was going to bother me? What did the heck did that say about our friendship. "-She went ahead." Derek continued. "We were upwind so I didn't know there were hunters near the property until I heard her start antagonizing them."

"Antagonizing how?" I asked, handing him the washcloth. "Clean the rest of your blood off."

"Yipping at them, circling and growling."

Clay growled and looked at Elena. "I think that she has officially worn out her welcome."

"Permanently." She agreed.

"You get to tell Paige and the counsel."

"Bite me. Are you going to be all right Derek?" She sounded genuinely concerned for Derek after indifferently snapping at Clay.

"Fine." He answered in typical Derek fashion.

I felt the event catch up to me as my heart started really pounding and my knees gave out. I sank to the floor in between the loveseat and fireplace, hand on my chest.

"Chloe?" Derek asked in alarm, leaning forward to catch my shoulders in his big hands.

"I-I was so… scared." I bent my head and practiced breathing, trying to let the adrenaline run its course.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, touching the roughened pad of his thumb to my cheek.

"It's not your fault." Elena said, but I could hear that she was facing away when she said it.

I looked up and saw that she was looking at the door where Lola stood in a cotton shift, her deep red hair haloing around her body.

"It's completely his fault!" Lola exploded, eyes glittering dangerously. "He nearly got me killed!"

Elena was moving towards her but I beat her there, for once in my life moving faster than a werewolf. Before I registered what was happening I had backhanded Lola in the face and just so we're clear, I had to reach up to do that. I guess the adrenaline might have been still affecting me a little; maybe being around werewolves all the time made me possessive or something, but the idea of her putting Derek in danger made me so angry I couldn't think straight.

"Get. Out. Of. My sight." I snarled, giving Derek a run for his money in the snarl department. "Or I will set every corpse in New York state chasing after you." She whipped her head around, teeth bared, but her expression also held a hint of fear. Good, she got the grisly picture.

"Woah." I heard someone behind me say.

Elena politely led a screeching Lola away by her hair and I turned to see both Clay and Derek staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

Derek arched a black eyebrow, clearly saying "Do you really have to ask?"

"By the way." I told him casually as I walked back to face him. "You're grounded."

Clay muffled a chuckle and I shot a glare at him.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Derek growled back at me.

"Oh no, of course you didn't. You just went for a four-paw tour with the dumbest wolf in America!" I planted my feet in front of him and crossed my arms. "And what the hell was she even _doing _here in the first place??" I asked Clay.

"Bringing us news from the interracial counsel, they don't like phones." He responded with his southern drawl.

Derek got my attention again as he said. "First, she's a shape shifter, not a wolf; second, It's not like I'm going to ask a woman for their IQ before…" He trailed off, eyes shifting away.

"That's my cue to go. Chloe, let us know if you need anything, that little stunt you pulled just earned you a free pass on pack territory." Clay said with his almost feral smile, clearly I had to do something reckless and stupid to get his respect.

"Cookies or something like them would be good." I said. "And juice, Derek lost a lot of blood."

"You are not my mother." Derek sulked.

"You're right, if I was your mother I'd get you micro chipped!"

"I'll send someone with the cookies and juice." Clay said and shut the door behind him.

I kept my angry defiant stance as Derek stood up to tower over me. "You're not going to intimidate me Derek Souza. And sit your ass back down, keep your weight off that leg." When he didn't hop to it and follow my orders like a good puppy I scowled at him. "What the hell were you thinking?? Running around with a stupid bimbo like _Lola_ and nearly getting yourself killed?!"

"What was _I_ thinking?" He asked incredulously. "What the hell were YOU thinking!" He grabbed my arm and ripped the sleeve clean off, making me squeak in indignant protest. Without the sleeve the two long criss-crossing scars were clearly visible. One was from when we were escaping Lyle house and I cut my arm on a piece of glass, the other from where a bullet grazed me when we were escaping Andrew's house. I told you we did a lot of running. "You could have been killed!"

"So could you!" I stamped my foot and jerked my arm out of his grasp. "If our roles were switched you would have done the exact same for me!"

"Of course I would you idiot! That's the point!" He roared at me. "It's a lot harder to kill ME!"

We glowered at each other for a whole minute. Then Derek's eyes flickered for just a second and I saw something there that made my anger melt away, fear. He had been afraid. I guess I would be too if someone were shooting at me.

He grabbed me at the same moment that I stepped forward and the end result was the same, I was in his arms. I wrapped mine around his waist and put my ear against his heart. It was pounding so hard that I could not only hear it but feel it, like a drumbeat pounding through my whole body.

"Hey it's okay." I whispered against his skin. "You're okay."

He snorted and it ruffled my hair as he kept one hand around me and buried the other in my hair, cradling me to his chest. "I was never worried about me."

I held onto him more tightly, letting him know that I was okay and that I was glad he was too. I'm not sure how long we stood like that but it suddenly occurred to me that Derek was only wearing a towel and I was pressed against his bare skin. My heart really started pounding then and I was sure that if I could feel his heart, he could undoubtedly feel mine.

He smelled like wolf and winter, kind of woodsy and musky. It felt a little like when you had a bad day and you buried you face into your dog's fur at the end of it, that kind of smell. But not exactly since I was pretty sure that I'd never felt this way for a pet.

_Felt what way?_ My inner voice asked smugly.

I looked up and met Derek's fierce green eyes and my gaze traitorously flicked to his—at the moment—surprisingly gentle mouth. When I met his eyes again there was a different kind of burning in them, one that brought that familiar fluttering to my stomach. He ran his thumb along the line of my jaw and I flattened my hands against his lower back.

He tilted my face up, fingers tangling in my hair and I thought my heart was going to explode as he leaned over me.


	13. Chapter 13

**After being so mean I decided to update again really quickly. However, this may just make you even more irked with me (Silver Bird you totally hit the nail on the head). The part that I was talking about being OOC was, you know, when Chloe hit Lola in the face. Yes she slapped Derek before but then she was panicking, this time she's just angry and it's not really like her to hit people when she's angry. Normally she would say "It's okay." and "I-I'm sorry!" right afterwards. Anywho.**

**Ayonne- I am always glad to make someones organic whobewhatsit more enjoyable!**

**Jamie Kay, Body and Soul, Yoli, Kenhat and Nema Dragon-don't be too angry with me. I promise I make it up to you in a few chapters!**

**Aaaaaand without further ado, here it is! Eh heh. Now I'm going to go into hiding.  
**

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Chapter 13

A sharp rap on the door made me jump guiltily. I stepped back and tried not to look flushed and like my whole body was in tingle mode as Elena walked in with a tray of sugar cookies and a carafe of orange juice. She looked at us suspiciously as she set it down.

"Figured it out have we?" She asked delicately.

"F-Figured what out?" I asked back.

Derek's hand briefly touched the back of my neck, it didn't help.

"I think you two are the oddest teenagers I have ever met." Elena sat herself in the armchair and waved for us to sit on the love seat. "And you're going to have to tell her." She looked at Derek pointedly.

"Tell me what?" I looked from one werewolf to the other.

"We're heading out soon." He said shortly and went to the bathroom to change, I sat on the loveseat and fidgeted under Elena's too-perceptive eyes. Something told me that that wasn't what he was supposed to tell me, but knowing Derek I would just have to wait until he was ready.

"What happened to the hunters?" I finally asked.

"They're inside the main house, we confiscated their guns and are waiting for the sheriff to pick them up." She handed me a cookie. "Take it, there's a whole plate for Derek to get sugar-high from."

I smiled gratefully and munched on the cookie, it helped calm my nerves. Derek finally came back in the room wearing black boxer-briefs and a t-shirt, I saw that he had taken the time to meticulously wash off all of the remaining blood from his leg and foot.

"Now. We need to finish discussing our treaty Derek." Elena handed him the whole tray and he drank the juice straight from the carafe. I rolled my eyes. "Chloe I think that this will eventually apply to you too so I want you to be involved in this final drafting."

Derek sat next to me and nodded. "Clay said himself that Chloe had a free pass on pack territory so that covers her."

"You are no less responsible for her actions." Elena pointed out.

"I don't worry too much about her, she's very… softhearted."

"I can see that."

"Hello! Chloe is right here. What is this treaty you're writing up?" I waved my hands to get their attention.

Elena looked at Derek, then started explaining when he didn't. "New York state is pack territory."

"Right, Liam said as much."

"Derek is negotiating a treaty so that his… pack of sorts… can hide and eventually live peacefully on pack land."

I thought for a moment. "So… Derek would normally be a problem because he's a seperate Alpha male and you guys want some kind of proof that he has no interest in trying to take over your pack. I'm assuming this treaty would be in effect for as long as Derek is alive?"

They stared at me.

"That book must tell you quite a bit about us." Elena commented idly.

"That." I conceded. "And just watching. The only wolves who have talked directly and comfortably to Derek are you, Clay and Lola. You are the alpha female and Clay is your mate, I'm assuming he's the beta male, and Lola… well I don't really care about her." I shot a glare in Derek's direction. His going off with Lola had struck a nerve deep in me. It had made me feel… territorial, kind of wolf like I guess.

"… Yes. That has been our concern with Derek. But he has shown no interest in leading a group of strangers and has focused only on keeping his family safe. So far we have agreed that you, Simon and his father will find haven on pack territory, and anyone who you vouch for is neutral. Any attempt made by anyone who is part of or joins or is born into Derek's pack cannot make a bid for Pack leadership."

"Sounds good, what's the hold-up?"

"War." Derek rumbled, looking at the ground with his hair hanging in his eyes.

Elena nodded. "So far this treaty has been created in the hopes of forming an alliance. But part of being allies is calling on each other in times of need."

"I don't want my family dragged into your fights." Derek growled now and I put my hand on his knee briefly.

"You can't ask for favors without offering anything in return." I said to him, then to Elena, "Can we just say that when you need help we will come but you can't expect us to value your politics over our own lives?" I asked.

"So you are saying that we can call you but you can ignore the summons if you choose." Elena sat back in her chair, her eyes taking on the flinty edge that they held when she was talking about the safety of her family.

"Chloe is saying that we don't want to agree to fight for you unconditionally." Derek put in. "Right now what we're calling my pack is in hiding and running for our lives. I want to stick to the original idea and draft separate treaties, starting with the territorial agreement. After that we can talk about alliances, we want your help in taking down the Edison Group, and you want us in your reserves because we have power unrelated to being a werewolf."

Elena considered us for a moment. "You really are too smart for your own good. Very well, I'll draft the territorial treaty and when Jeremy Okays it you can sign it in the morning."

"Fine." Derek agreed, going back to his more comfortable monosyllables.

"I'll have dinner sent out so you can rest and recuperate." She stood, smoothing the lines of her gray linen pants.

"Thank you Elena, we really appreciate everything you have done for us." I stood to walk her to the door.

"I wish I could say that our interest in your wellbeing was entirely selfless, but we are very very curious about the work your ma… your man has been doing with the blood of the supernaturals from the genesis 2 project."

I waited for Elena to leave before rounding on Derek. "Okay Dr. Frankenstein. Spill."

He ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh. "Chloe I just got shot, can the interrogation wait?"

That took the wind out of my sails. I paced a few times, then grabbed a cookie and slapped it in his hand. "So eat, then talk."

He groaned and let his head fall back against the loveseat but munched on the cookie anyway. "Later Chloe."

"But-"

"_Later._"

I sat sulkily in the armchair Elena had just vacated. "Fine."

We sat in silence for nearly five minutes, Derek eating cookies and me glaring at him. Every now and then I would see a flash of green as he glanced to see if I was still glaring.

Finally he caved. "I've been testing to see how contagious my lycanthropy is." He mumbled.

"What? Really?" I should have guessed it, blood samples from all of us… "And..?"

"It looks like that was another thing that the Edison Group messed with."

"So… your bite…?"

"Yeah. My saliva doesn't carry the virus. At least it doesn't seem to affect anyone who was part of the genesis 2 project."

"That's fantastic news!" I was going to hug him but a knock at the door made me change directions.

When I opened it one of the younger wolves handed me a familiar flat white box. I thanked him and took it.

"Perfect! Just what we need to celebrate." I brought the pizza to Derek.

He grinned and we dug in. I was halfway through my first piece when Derek slowly lowered his slice with a thoughtful expression.

"Hey Chloe?"

"Mmm?"

"How did you know I got shot? And where I was?"

I paused too. I tried to remember exactly what had made me run into the woods, what I had been doing.

"I… I was meditating." I felt a blush creep into my cheeks as I remembered talking to Elena about the empathy link, and then the dream from the night before where I was running with the pack. Then when I meditated earlier and was running after a reddish tail that I was sure was Lola. I couldn't tell Derek about that, he'd think I was crazy. "A-And I heard a-a shot."

Derek's gaze pierced me like shards of green ice. "What aren't you telling me?"

"N-Nothing." I couldn't meet his eyes, I wanted to learn more about what the hell was going on before I told Derek about it. "So what exactly were you going to say earlier about not asking a woman's IQ before…?"

He flushed. "Lola has been… forward. That's all."

My stomach dropped. "Well… good for you then."

"We didn't DO anything." Derek snapped. "I just meant that I don't make a habit of asking for the IQ of everyone woman who comes on to me, but now that you mention it maybe I should question if they're mentally stable." He glowered at me.

"That's not what I meant! I just meant that… you know… your lips or… _other_ appendages may fall off after contact with Lola. She pretty much screams STD city."

He opened his mouth to retort but his head snapped up and he looked towards the door of the cabin. I waited, grateful for the distraction but I got more worried as his brow furrowed. I got up and went to the bathroom to change into my jeans, heavy woolen socks and layered shirt, flannel and sweater.

When I came out Derek had put on his jeans and nodded in approval that I was dressed. I silently packed my shoulder bag with the books, my toiletries and underwear and the small tent. Nothing else would fit and for some reason I got the feeling that we wouldn't be able to bring the big bag. I did manage to put my arm and head through the ripcord of a sleeping bag's stuff sack and carried that while Derek took the pack.

I slipped on my shoes and went to stand behind Derek in the doorway. I put my hand on his arm so he knew I was ready to go and he stepped off the porch. We made it halfway around the house before Derek stopped, flinging his arm out to keep me behind him.

Not ten feet in front of us a black commando-type stepped from the trees, walking slowly towards the house. Derek grabbed his jacket and slammed him into the wall with a dull thud. I dipped and took his radio and gun. When Derek cocked his head to the side I crept to the nearest bush and pushed the gun underneath as quietly as I could. He nodded shortly as I came back, stepping behind him and lacing a finger through one of his belt loops.

We reached the corner and a hand shot out, grabbing Derek's collar and pulling him around.

"We have guests." Clay murmured.

_Duh._ I thought.

Derek nodded shortly. "Be careful, they shoot to kill now."

"Well it seems like we have to get involved with this anyway." He pushed us, slipping a slim rectangle into my jeans pocket. "Some of their group are mutts."

Derek's eyebrows shot up and I recalled vaguely that someone had mentioned dealing with a "mutt" problem before. I think The Pack _had_ to sort out werewolves gone bad to keep themselves safe. They were like the judge, jury and police force of the lycanthropic world. So logically if there were werewolves working for the Edison Group… despite that being a really bad thing I couldn't stop a surge of hope that I felt at the idea that The Pack was on our side now.

Clay and Derek clasped hands in a manly way.

"Thank you so much." I touched Clay's arm and handed him the radio. "For everything."

Derek pulled me away and we jogged quietly to the bike. I checked the thing that Clay had sneakily passed to me and found a cell phone that I would investigate when I wasn't running for my life. I helpfully bounced on the balls of my feet as Derek unhitched the sidecar. When it was free he pushed the bike under the cover of the trees. I was surprised at how few sneaky military guys we ran into on our way—AKA none—but then realized that they had learned from last time and weren't splitting up with the exception of a few scouts, one of whom had already been acquainted with the wall. A group of them rounded the house from the direction we'd come and another emerged from the trees on the opposite side. Derek sniffed the air then nodded to himself, pulling me on the bike in front of him, which was a little awkward but I managed to keep my feet out of his way and it wasn't like I obstructed his view.

When he kicked the bike to life I almost fell over from surprise, I had expected a much sneakier exit but should have known when he put me on the bike that that was not the plan. We took off, spraying gravel as Derek swung the bike around, blinding the night-vision goggled commandos with the headlight as we blasted past them and up a small back dirt road.

We went recklessly fast, trusting Derek's reflexes to keep us from flying off of a blind turn. It wasn't until we were at the perimeter that we slowed down at all. The back gate was unguarded and much more subtle than the front had been and I yelled at Derek to stop once we were on the other side.

I listened after he cut the engine and it didn't take a werewolves senses to hear gunfire and baying. I jumped down from the bike, dodging Derek's grab and using my trusty old gymnastic skills to skitter up the stone wall, perching in a place on top that was covered by an overhanging tree branch. I climbed the wall instead of using the back gate in case we were followed—if you were wondering.

Derek landed lightly next to me, glaring daggers. "What the hell are you doing?" He growled under his breath.

"Hush, I need to concentrate!" I let myself down on the other side and knelt, fingering my pendant then pushing my fingers past the snow until they dug into the cold hard earth.

With another growl Derek dropped to the ground next to me, standing guard.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm so so SO sorry." I felt tears fill and spill over my eyes, streaming down my face. I pushed my energy into the ground, channeling through the bracelets and sent wave after wave of summons over The Pack's land.

"Chloe what the-?" Derek stopped, freezing in place.

I pictured the men who were the enemy, dressed in black with funny bulging eyes, and set every corpse in range after them. I reinforced over and over that the ones in plain clothes were allies, were not to be harmed. It felt a little like controlling a puppet on strings, except that there were thousands of puppets and if I lost control of them for a second then there would be chaos.

The gunfire was replaced by horrible high-pitched screaming as the ground seemed to writhe beneath the soldier's feet, producing animals and some humans of all sizes and in varying states of decay. In my mind's eye I created a picture from the impressions of all of my creatures. It took only minutes to disarm and round up all of the soldiers. The Pack was all accounted for and only had minor wounds. They were all unnerved by the horde of animated corpses that had come to their rescue and after securing the soldiers—about two dozen in all—they stayed together, on guard.

When I was sure that they had everything under control I pulled back, drawing the animals into the woods again and in one burst of energy that felt like opening up my chest and bearing my heart to the cold air I released their spirits. I carefully but quickly flicked my power over the ground, making sure there wasn't even a zombie vole left hiding somewhere. Then carefully came back fully to my own body.

"So… sorry…" I croaked, my voice feeling as tired as the rest of me. When I opened my eyes I teetered, then turned to face Derek. "Time… to go." I was embarrassed by how exhausted I was, it felt like it was taking all of my energy just to remain upright.

"Chloe?" Derek's voice seemed far away. "Chloe!" As his voice became fainter I felt my body pitch forward.


	14. Chapter 14

**You guys are addicts, seriously I would stop updating as an intervention but I think I'd have like a hundred people who broke down my door and duct-taped me to the keyboard. **

**Greek- I totally copied and pasted that name so if there was a missing letter is was not me =P**

**Silver Bird, Kenhat and Emo Taco- Yeah I'm totally a feminist (the old-fashioned equality kind) and I got tired of the sissy Chloe thing too. In the books she freaking stabbed Liam in the femoral artery with a switchblade! That's pretty bad ass! Anyway, Chloe is the shizzle.**

**Burning Bright- I love your narratives, it's like I get to see your whole thought process as you read the chapter, fun. ^_^**

**Ayonne- Aww. That was the sweetest declaration of not-quite-but-almost-online-stalkerish-love I've ever received! And if you ever need a sympathetic homework sucks ear--or technically eye--I am totally here. I've put together a short film with five interviews by myself in under four months. Ah stress, how I don't miss you. Keep up the good fight!**

**Black Heart- Sorry! Soon! Also, of course Derek wasn't interested in Lola, I think he was just still pissed about Chloe not telling Simon to take a hike, I guess we'll see.  
**

**Mandy, Ghost, Book Wormy, Moon, Sydney, Spencer and Love-Yall are the bomb diggity.  
**

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Chapter 14

I opened my eyes groggily to find silvery fabric stretched over my head. I sat up quickly, too quickly I realized and stumbled out the open tent door, scrambling to the opposite side of a tree before vomiting what little I had in my stomach. My head felt like it was gripped in an ever tightening vice and I limped back into the tent, rinsing out my mouth with a water bottle in an inner pocket.

I lay back down just as Derek came skidding to a halt in front of the tent. "You're awake!"

"Unfortunately." I groaned, pressing my palms to my face. "Did you take a sledgehammer to my head while I was out?"

"I didn't have to, you did that all on your own." Derek's voice had the quiet chill of barely controlled rage. "You nearly killed yourself with that little stunt back there."

"I didn't have a choice, I had to help."

He looked like he would enjoy nothing more than to throttle me until my teeth rattled and his fists clenched and unclenched several times before he swallowed whatever he wanted to yell at me.

"How long have I been out?" I looked at the blood-red sky. "Is it dawn already? Where are we?"

"It's sunset, you were almost out for twenty four hours, we camped out on pack land more than ten miles from the main settlement." He said calmly even though his face was still a nice rosy you're-dead-meat color.

"I'm sorry to be holding you up again Derek. Thanks for waiting for me." I lay down gently on the impromptu bed of jackets and an unzipped squared off sleeping bag. "Anything exciting happen?"

"Other than you nearly dying?" He replied sarcastically.

"Other than that."

He glared at me and I sighed, knowing that being cheeky wasn't going to help the situation. "I couldn't do nothing Derek. The Pack helped us when they could have killed us or turned us away."

"Well nobody was even seriously injured… But did you HAVE to raise the ENTIRE forest?? You didn't trust that a pack of _disgusting wild dogs_ could take care of themselves?!" Something rose in his eyes, something that didn't have anything to do with me raising the forest.

"Derek… What are you talking about."

"I…" He turned away, mouth thinned in an angry line. "Forget it."

"Tell me."

"Let it go."

"No!" I grabbed onto his jeans as he turned to leave. "Damnit Derek! Tell me what's going on!"

"I heard you and Andrew talking okay?" He said it quietly. "I heard him say that it was just like collaring on a wild dog… and you said that it wasn't your fault you got stuck with something so disgusting."

I froze, racking my brain. He took my silence as a confession and tried to leave again. "Hold up a minute, I'm trying to remember…" It had barely been three days before but our lives were so hectic that it seemed like months ago. Finally I remembered the conversation, from when I was trying to tell Andrew that I could control my powers. "Oh." I dropped my face into my hands, letting go of Derek's jeans as I replayed the conversation in my mind.

_"Ok… well I really wanted awhile to test my new containment things." I'd pulled up my sleeves to show my bracelets. "I finished them and I can already tell that I have a lot more control."_

_"That's great Chloe. But you know that without someone guiding you that's just like putting a collar on a wild dog."_

_I remembered the shower shutting off as Andrew was talking._

_"It's not my fault that I got stuck with something so disgusting!" I'd shot back, losing my sweet girl mask in my frustration. Weirdly the shower had turned back on…_

He took an almost stumbled step back. "After… after everything we've been through…"

"It wasn't about you." I whispered hoarsely, my throat tightening. He had been keeping this to himself for days, thinking that I thought he was disgusting. It hurt my chest to even consider. "Andrew was talking about these-" I held up my wrists, showing the bracelets on them. "Saying that they were a Band-Aid solution to the problem of my uncontrollable powers. Like putting a collar on a wild dog."

He was silent for so long I was afraid he'd left and I looked up slowly, seeing him kneeling in the doorway of the tent. "So… It wasn't…"

"It wasn't about you. It was about… about me." I sighed and settled back, feeling like every bone in my body had run a triathlon. Once I was situated I took a moment to really look at Derek and saw dark circles under his eyes and his hair was mussed on one side like he had been running his hand through it a lot.

"Sorry to make you worry." I said softly, looking at my hands.

Suddenly a pair of long arms wrapped awkwardly around my shoulders. There was a faint shiver in them as they settled and I couldn't help but wonder how close I had been to taking the six foot plunge, and how much thinking that he disgusted me had affected him.

"Just… don't do anything that stupid again." He said, letting me go quickly and rocking back on his heels.

I think my face could have flagged down airplanes I was so red. We sat in uncomfortable silence for a minute before both starting to talk at once, then I smiled. The tension eased out of Derek's shoulders and he stood.

"Now that you're awake I'm going to do a run around the nearby area, just scout the perimeter."

I nodded, I wasn't going to argue, after being unconscious for twenty-four hours straight I really REALLY had to pee. I was actually more comfortable with the idea of him leaving since it was fully dark and Derek had the advantage over anyone sneaking around. When he was gone and I answered the call of nature I wet a washcloth and gave myself a quick sort of sponge bath.

I spent what must have been nearly ten minutes brushing my teeth, I felt like I had morning, afternoon and night breath all rolled into one. As I cleaned I tried to take my mind off of the fact that we were on the run again. I thought about how I would light the clearing if I were shooting a scene in it, and mentally wrote a cheesy bad guy monologue for Dr. Davidoff.

The one good thing about the woods is that—despite my incident with the murder echo before we got to the safe house—there weren't as many ghosts as in the city.

I was combing my hair when Derek returned. He had changed back and was clothed again.

"Why is your hair wet?!" I demanded when he got closer.

He shook it out like a dog but I didn't point out the similarity, he would probably scowl me into an everlasting silence. "I found a stream and took a bath since I had a fur coat on."

"Hmph." And I thought I had been resourceful with my bathing procedures.

Derek sat inside the tent, his head still touching the ceiling and his legs stretched outside. I finished combing my hair slowly, watching his big hands fidget and trying to think up a good topic of conversation.

"Sooo…" I started. "What's your favorite werewolf movie?"

He shot me a long-suffering look. "I can't say I'm a fan of the genre."

"Ok… who is your favorite actor?"

"Chloe are you seriously going to play the question game with me?"

"Sure. If it takes my mind off of our situation for ten minutes."

He rolled his eyes but one look at my face made him stop. Something he saw there made his jaw tighten and eyes take on an emotion that looked suspiciously like empathy. "Okay." He agreed finally.

"What actor—or actress—do you think you most resemble?" I asked with a grin, I always loved to see how people thought of themselves and I wanted to know what Derek's answer would be.

He blew his hair out of his eyes and leaned back on his elbows. "I don't know… Boris Karloff?"

Really should have seen that one coming. "Misunderstood and a genius? I can see how you would view yourself that way."

That took him by surprise. I was pretty sure he'd said Karloff purely because he traditionally played monster characters.

"But you know… I don't think you actually _look_ like him." I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "You do look like someone I've seen in a movie recently though…"

"Chloe, spare me the humilia-"

"I've got it!" I announced, cutting Derek off. "Benicio Del Toro! You look almost exactly like him you know? Except for the eyes of course."

He blinked a few times. "Benicio Del-… not funny." He growled but I could have sworn I saw his mouth twitch first.

It honestly hadn't been a grasping at straws thing, I had been trying to think of what actor Derek reminded me of since we met. It was a good way to distract myself from real life, figuring out which celebrity I would cast to play that person in a movie. If Benicio Del Toro was closer to our age I would have absolutely cast him to play Derek.

"No really! Your facial structure is almost exactly the same!" I tried to get my point across adamantly. "Both of you are not really… Hollywood's idea of perfect, but you have some quality that I can't put my finger on…" _Sexy_. My inner voice quipped.

"We both turn to monsters?" Derek wasn't making eye-contact, not a good sign.

"No you idiot. It's like…" _You're sexy._ My evil alter-ego Chloe made herself known again. "Something…" _Sexysexysexysexysexy…_ "Uhh…" _SEXYSEXYSEXYSEXY!!_ "… Captivating. Very charismatic." I supplied frantically, anything to get that voice to shut up. I didn't think Derek was sexy for God's sake!

… Did I?

"Charismatic?" He gave me a disbelieving look now. "You think a body mutating and warping on screen is charismatic?"

It took me a second to figure out what he was saying. Then it hit me, I had totally forgotten that they had cast Benicio Del Toro to play the wolf man in the remake. _Stupidstupid Chloe!_ "Uh… you know… honestly I had forgotten completely that he played that role. I was actually thinking of him in _Che_."

"So either I'm a silver-screen monster or revolutionary?" He rolled his eyes but didn't look upset or withdrawn for once. "Gee didn't he ever play a struggling teenage werewolf on the run from a psychotic group of scientists?"

"Not yet but he will when I cast him as you in the movie of this."

"Isn't he a little old to play me?"

"Well everyone thinks you're like twenty five anyway, I think he'll pull it off." I teased, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Fine. Then Dakota Fanning has to play you."

"Ouch! Don't I get like, Jessica Alba or Natalie Portman?"

"Nope. Dakota Fanning."

"You are cruel. I can't cast her anyway, it would make scenes like this look waaaay too pedophilic."

"Scenes like what?" The corner of his mouth twitched undoubtedly that time.

"You know, where the werewolf and necromancer run off together because their powers get the better of them in some capacity or another." I gestured between the two of us.

"What! You're putting that… that incident at the truck stop in the movie??"

"Yup. But don't worry, I'd also include the scene in the crawlspace." I shuddered lightly at the memory. It had been truly horrible, but if I could recreate it on film it would make me a household name director overnight.

The more I thought about the situations we had been in together from a cinematic point of view, the more I saw how an audience member would see it.

A girl newly committed to a juvy version of an insane asylum for seeing ghosts that were really there meets a boy who has been battling his inner demons for years. He comes and rescues her when the super evil bitchy villain character (Tori… hey, at that point in the plotline she was pretty evil, you have to admit) traps her in a crawlspace. Later she finds and supports him when he's going through some kind of crazy mutation thing, staying by his side despite the fact that everyone else avoids him. They run away together—okay, with a few other people too—and she gets caught. But he comes back every day to look for her, and when he finds her he rescues her time and time again. She in turn stays with him as he slowly turns into a wolf.

I didn't have to think any further along the plotline. If I were in the audience I know exactly what I would want, it would be so painfully obvious that I would be screaming at the two characters for being so dense and blind. We were the romantic interest. If I were in the audience I would be just waiting for the werewolf and necromancer to realize their feelings for each other and kiss passionately, declaring undying devotion to each other.

I mean, the set-up was perfect, Derek had even told me earlier on that his saliva didn't carry the werewolf virus; he was totally kosher for tongue-hockey.

I felt a massive blush creep up my face. It may happen in the cinematic version but it wasn't happening now, I didn't even think of Derek that way… didn't I? The scene from the day before danced unbidden in front of my eyes. Being held by Derek, Derek leaning down over me…

And I had wanted it. I had wanted him to kiss me with every fiber of my being.

"Chloe?"

I snapped back to the present, face still hot. "Huh?"

"Hey, don't think about that okay?"

"… Huh?"

"Lyle house… you zoned out on me completely there." His eyes were concerned, his waaaay too piercing and intensely green eyes. He thought I was stressing out over the whole incident in the crawlspace, a convenient scapegoat until I figured out where the hell my head and heart were at.

I didn't have to think about it anymore, I knew. It had been going on slowly for a while now and it took me this long to sort it out. My brain blanked for a second as I tried to put it into words.

_Holy shit balls I really am in love with Derek!_


	15. Chapter 15

**To celebrate the weekend AND having over 500 readers for BOTH Thursday and Friday, I give you another chapter! It also helps that I am a little tipsy and therefore have been all teary eyed and giggly over the multitude of reviews. Yes, you seduced me into updating again so soon with your... seducey words. Ah the vocabulary of a writer strikes again. Anyway. All of you guys who are threatening to brain me every time there is no kiss (yes that would be you Yoli, Syd, Kenhat and Greek Freak) can take a moment and enjoy the build up, try to keep those choirs of angels in check ~.^. We all know it wouldn't be very Chloe and Derek like to throw themselves at each other.**

**Ayonne- I do appreciate you! But if you keep the falling behind in class thing up I'm going to stop updating and then we're both going to be in loads of trouble from the mobs!**

**Jamie Kay- Tell your mom that I have the name of a good therapist available for when she intervenes.**

**Chloe Souza (heh), Spencer Reid, Hee, Nema Dragon, Ghost, Mr, Mandy, Addict, Moon Lover, Burning Bright and Body and Soul- Thank you thank you. Yes she finally realized that she has the hots for a certain teenage lycanthrope. I think you'll like this chapter too!**

**Black Heart- Well I couldn't not acknowledge you after that! Very sweet, thank you. I think I get almost as excited when I see that I have new reviews as you guys do seeing that I've updated, I check a couple of times a day too!**

**Vamp '87- I just wanted to shout out to 1987. Good year. Also, glad I could make you giggle and welcome to the fold!  
**

**Silver Bird- *Calling 911* :P  
**

* * *

Chapter 15

"Uhh yeah, right. You're completely right, I should not think about that whole drama." I rubbed my face distractedly and couldn't meet his gaze. "Hey do we have any food? I just realized that I'm starving."

Derek looked at me for a minute longer, eyes still worried, then shrugged, telling me he would let it go for now. "Yeah. Good thing you put the food in this bag."

I gratefully accepted the pudding cup he handed me, eating it slowly but wanting more food as soon as it was gone. After that I had banana chips and two granola bars before calling it quits. There was beef jerky but since becoming a necromancer I had had a nightmare where I ate a steak and then summoned the cow's soul back to it while it was in my stomach... Yeah, you get the picture. I can safely say I'm a vegetarian for life.

I sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to think of something that would pass the time and didn't need light, since it was dark outside. The very recent realization about the whole… uh… love thing, made it hard to stay focused on anything. "Sooo… have you heard from… anything about your dad?" I didn't want to say _from Simon_ because, as little as I knew about guys, I know that they don't like it when you talk about other guys when you're with them. Alone with them. Alone for the night with them.

_Stop it Inner-voice-Chloe! You're being distracting!_

"-put a smart phone in your pocket when we were leaving and I've been using it to check email." Derek was saying while I was still being distracted.

My brain caught up in slow motion and I remembered Clay's parting gift from the night before. "So it was a smart phone, huh. I knew he gave me a phone but I didn't have time to look at it… what about your dad?"

"Simon said that he's somewhere in the Edison Group's main compound."

"That's awful!" I managed to say. "Are we going to meet up with the others and go get him?"

"Since Andrew is still in charge and leading everyone Simon thought we should stay separate and meet them at the compound in two days."

"What?" That pulled my distracted brain together with a vengeance. "We're attacking them in TWO DAYS?"

He nodded, which I could see because his silhouette's head moved.

"Well… crap."

"Yeah." He hesitated for a moment. "Also… Simon says to tell you that he's bored without you around."

I smiled at that. "Typical."

"Yeah." Another pause. "Do… Do you want me to tell him anything for you next time?"

"Uh… sure, just tell him I said that we'll all be back together again soon."

"… Okay." He pushed himself out of the tent doorway and stood, blocking the small amount of light we got from the moon. "Try to rest."

I wanted to say something as he walked away, hands in his pockets, but I wasn't sure what. By the time I'd opened my mouth he was already gone.

I lay down but it took me a long time to fall asleep. I kept my hand on the other half of the tent, realizing how cold I felt without Derek filling it.

* * *

A howl woke me, I sat straight up, knowing somehow that it wasn't Derek. Other than that I couldn't tell if it was Pack or something else. I took my knee-length wool jacket off, putting it on like a coat instead of using it as a blanket. As I was slipping on my shoes and scarf the tent roof darkened unnaturally, darker than a cloud sliding past the moon.

Before I could make a sound two hands ripped through the fabric, one grabbed my jacket and the other wrapped around my throat. With a huge tug I was out of the tent and being pressed tightly to a man who smelled like he'd been dragged through a New Orleans gutter at mardi gras.

"Pretty pretty pretty little kitty." He gurgled in my ear, wrapping the arm that had my jacket around my torso so my arms were pinned and the hand on my throat to cover my mouth.

I kicked and screamed against him before noticing that his hands were shaped oddly and tipped in black claws. It was a werewolf that was losing touch with his humanity, I'd read about them in the book. But it was relatively unusual, it only happened when the werewolf had been… had been eating humans.

I felt a shudder run through my entire body and swallowed hard.

We were moving quickly but with an odd gait, like his knees went the wrong way. I steeled the girl in me that went "Ew!" and bit the hand over my mouth hard. When he yelped and pulled back for a second I screamed as loud as I could manage.

"DEREK!"

I heard crashing but it was faint and punctuated by the snarls of a fight.

"Bad! Evil! Bad!" The man holding me growled and I noticed that he had the slightest accent that I couldn't figure out.

As I saw his clawed hand moving towards my face I placed it. Australian. Then he connected and everything went black.

* * *

Muttered voices pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness and I tried to open my eyes but something sticky kept getting in one and I kept them shut. I took a minute to get my bearings, breathing shallowly through my mouth so I would still seem unconscious. I was tied up with a rope hanging from the ceiling, it bit into my wrists and pulled my arms painfully up so I was losing feeling in my hands. Two voices, lower and deeper than the others, stood out when I stopped again to listen. I recognized both. The Australian man-eater that had kidnapped me, and Liam. They were arguing with another man that I didn't recognize.

I risked a glance and saw that the other man wore military gear but had the same strange glinting eyes as the others. A werewolf, a werewolf working for the Edison Group judging by his uniform. He gestured at me and I quickly shut my eye again, but not before seeing that we were in a rundown barn of some kind with more roof and walls missing than was there. "We never agreed to this."

"You said you wanted the girl and the boy. We got the girl, the boy will follow." Liam hissed back. "Their hormones don't change the deal."

"This has nothing to do with their hormones!" The new werewolf said. "Souza will be a hundred times more dangerous because we took her!"

"Sssss not a problem." The Australian said in his strange gurgling, growling voice. "Kill her. Eat her."

"We only have orders to kill Souza. The girl goes back to the main compound."

"He killed Ramon!" Liam snarled. "I say we have fun with his mate. The bitch stabbed me in the thigh last time I saw her, I think it's my turn to stab _her._"

The way he said it made me want to curl up under the covers and never come out.

"Mate?" A cold smoky voice curled around my insides. "She's not his mate."

_Lola_. I thought furiously, losing my control and snapping my head up to glare at her. It didn't seem to matter if I was conscious or unconscious, they didn't even look at me.

"You stupid bitch." Liam snapped at her. "Smell her. Tell me she's not."

Lola stepped out of the shadows, red hair shining when she walked towards me.

"You evil conniving…" I was at a loss for words, not able to think of a curse strong enough to label this woman. I settled for giving her a venomous glare when she sniffed the air around me, her face sharpening for a moment to resemble a fox's sensitive nose and muzzle.

"So? She's been screwing him, of course his scent is on her." She straightened, face back to normal and shrugged, walking back to the others.

"Sss not ON her." The Australian said. "IS her." He dragged out the "is" so it sounded like a sharp hiss.

"She hasn't been sleeping with him." The Edison werewolf said. "If you weren't so covered in perfume and if you were a real lycanthrope you would smell the big difference between having his scent on her and having his scent be part of her. And she smells like a virgin."

I forgot about the situation and took a second to be shocked and embarrassed. _You can SMELL how experienced someone is?_

"So is he." Liam said with an evil glare at Lola and tsked her. "You didn't do your job very well."

"If Elena hadn't interrupted I would have had him." She glared back. "But he still followed me without the leverage, all your men had to do was point and shoot." The last was directed at the new werewolf.

_His men... The hunters!_ I felt my blood run cold. We'd been set up. They hadn't been normal douche-baggy hunters, they had been Edison Group hired guns.

"Leverage?" Liam dragged the word out. "You didn't agree for leverage. You just wanted to fuck him."

The Australian laughed and it was an awful wrong sound that made every hair on my body stand up. "Fuckhimfuckhim." He chanted.

Lola snorted. "A man who's built like that… it would satisfy the itch YOU'VE been trying to scratch for months." This was shot at Liam and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Too bad you'll never know." She said to me now.

Despite hating her with every fiber of my being, what she said made me blush.

She grinned and walked back over to me. "Thought about it have we little girl?" She put her face to my chest and breathed deeply over my heart. "Oh yes, his scent is deep in her." She put her lips against my ear. "Bet you wish he was too."

I was so embarrassed and angry that I acted without thinking. I kicked her as hard as I could between the legs. Okay, I know it hurts guys more, but it is still extremely painful for a woman. I know from once when I fell off the monkey bars onto the ladder and the bar went right… Right, not the time.

Lola fell back with a gasp, screeching furiously at me while the others laughed at her.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about." I glared at them all. "You're crazy."

Liam stepped over Lola and looked into my face, eyes widening as a look of malicious glee spread over his face. "You really don't do you? You're mated little girl. Even without the fun part, you're still mated. We can smell it on you."

Anything else he may have said was cut off as a body flew through the rickety barn's door. I could feel that they were still alive, but very seriously unconscious. We waited in silence and I realized I wasn't breathing.

_Surely Derek wasn't stupid enough to come after me? _I thought, panicking as I felt his power wash over me.

As another person was hurled into the newest werewolf who had been arguing with Liam I felt sorry. Sorry for them, not sorry for what they had done, but pitying anyone who got in Derek's way right now. A figure filled the now open door; I honestly could not have staged and lit it better in a film shoot. The silvered light that fell in beams through the holes in the roof kept catching just part of Derek as he walked calmly towards us, green eyes glowing so intensely I thought they would burn a hole through the people in the way.

He had obviously changed on the fly because all he had time to put on were his jeans. Still, in the freezing night, barefoot, bare-chested and weaponless he looked scarier than anyone else in the room.

Liam crouched with a bone-jarring growl and sprang at Derek. I flinched, remembering their last fight and who had won. Derek caught him by the face and slammed him bodily into the ground where he lay motionless. Next the Australian attacked, managing to slice into Derek's chest with his razor sharp claws before Derek punched him in the jaw with a sickening crunch.

Lola looked like she wasn't sure if attacking was the wisest decision and I agreed with her, she raised her hands when Derek advanced on her. "This wasn't my idea!"

"You helped." He said and grabbed her by the throat, pinning her to the wall so her feet dangled off the ground.

As she scrabbled uselessly against his vice grip I was reminded forcibly of the Australian pulling me out of the tent by the throat and shouted.

"Derek! Stop!" I twisted desperately and uselessly against my restraints, but my voice had seemed to snap him to himself. He dropped Lola and moved a bale of old hay on top of her, pinning her.

As soon as he was satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere without help he strode over to me and grabbing the rope just above my wrists snapped my restraints easily. It was a little annoying after I had been trying to get out of them for fifteen minutes and he made it look like tearing wet tissue paper.

"Can you walk?" His voice was hoarse, probably from changing so much.

I tried to rub feeling back into my hands, wincing at the sharp pins and needles feeling of blood going back into them. "I think so."

"We need to go."

I nodded mutely and followed him to the lead guy from the Edison Group, whose pockets he raided, pulling out a set of keys. We went outside and Derek walked straight to a big black SUV, opening the passenger side and lifting me by the waist, he put me inside and slammed the door.


	16. Chapter 16

**Well holy spherical objects! The Reckoning comes out in NINE days?? I'm going to have to update like crazy to beat that! Thanks Spencer, way to freak me out but I guess all of the readers are going to be kissing your feet now that you've put a fire under my tail . Oi.**

**Ayonne- What the eff are you doing taking a mid-term on Saturday?? It's... It's... SACRILEGIOUS. Well you can read this after your midterm and chill out for a minute. Good luck!**

**Vamp Fan- Thank you! Yeah Kelley Armstrong's romantic interests sometimes make me want to tear my hair out with how long they take to be like "Oh hey. You there, the one that makes me crazy. Do me." It's been hard to keep from just having Chloe and Derek go for it but I really want to be true to the characters.**

**Jamie Kay, Silver Bird, Black Heart, Ghost, Body and Soul, and Kenhat- My inspiration for Derek's sudden increase in awesome was from the second book when Liam throws Chloe into the wall and Derek freaks and beats the shit out of him. Ah, gotta love a guy who can take on an elite squad of werewolves at seventeen (in my version). And okay, maybe the adrenaline rush of racing back to the tent and finding no Chloe and the ceiling destroyed helped _a little._**

**Review- Half of the fun for me is reading the reviews and interacting with my fellow Armstrong fans. Just knowing that there are people out there who share my frustration at having to wait between books (talk about slow updates!) makes me sane.**

**Kat the Greek- I promise you that sometime this weekend there will be *ahem* development.**

**Kayla- I definitely meant to respond to you last chapter but spaced completely. No there will not be an "M" scene in this particular story but I may do a one-shot after The Reckoning comes out.  
**

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Chapter 16

We drove in silence to the campsite, gathering as much of our things as we could and leaving the ruined tent behind. Derek paused, looking at the tent, the huge rips in the top of it and I saw his fists clenching. It scared me a little, if I knew Derek at all then he would be looking for some reason to chew me out for getting kidnapped while silently abusing himself for not being there.

When we got back in the car I turned on the heat and poured a small amount of water on my fingers to get enough of the blood off my eye so I could open it. My depth-perception definitely took a little bit of a dive with one eye closed. That done I drew my knees to my chest as we drove slowly without the lights on. And okay, I may have sneaked a few sideways glances at the still only-jean-clad Derek. The clock read just past 2am but it felt so much later when we finally pulled off the road and into another abandoned campsite. I was finding myself extremely grateful that we were in camping territory and that it was off season.

The instant the engine was off Derek had the inside light on and was pulling my face to him. I froze and felt my eyes go wide but he was just checking my forehead and cheek that throbbed fiercely now that the adrenaline had mostly worn off.

"Did… he bite you?" He asked with deceptive calm.

"Just scratched I think." I vaguely remembered the mutated werewolf's hand slamming towards me right before I was knocked unconscious. "I remember the Australian guy hitting me in the face, I assume that he scratched me at the same time."

Derek slumped back into his seat, looking like all the fight had been drained out of him in an instant. He covered his face with his hands and took a few deep breaths. He looked almost identical to how I must have looked after the shooting and amateur surgery fiasco.

I reached over tentatively and put my hand on his back. "Hey… it's okay. We're okay." I murmured.

"Jesus Chloe." He raised his head slowly and I braced myself for an angry lecture. "You scared the hell out of me."

That stopped me, I saw his face, how angry and scared he looked. He was showing his raw emotions, which I usually only saw when he was changing. "I could tell." I said seriously.

We sat for a moment, my hand on his back and him slumped forward like a puppet with its strings cut. If I thought that my adrenaline rush had been crazy then Derek's must have been near heart-attack inducing. I remembered what they had been saying about him being a hundred times more dangerous and wondered if his body did something like that—release more adrenaline than was normal or healthy to get me back. The thought made me upset with myself for being the cause of all that, and even more angry than before with the Edison Group for putting him through that.

Eventually he straightened shakily and turned to face me. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

"Sure, right after we check your injuries, which I'm sure are worse."

He grumbled and snarked but put his chair back when I told him to and let me look at the scratches. Either they weren't as deep as I had originally thought or he was healing faster than usual. Still, his blood streaked down his chest and colored the waist of his jeans dark.

When I reached down to touch the edge of the deepest cut he caught my wrist with a shake of his head.

"You're blood isn't contagious Dr. Frankenstein." I reminded him but sat back anyway. "Don't move, I'm going to look for something to clean those with."

As Derek fidgeted in the driver's seat I rummaged through the SUV. For the most part it was as empty as a new car, but they seemed to be prepared to take some damage because they conveniently had a big first aid kit in the back.

I got back into the passenger's seat with the kit and ripped open an antiseptic moist towel but as I turned to Derek he caught my wrist again.

"You first."

With a huffed sigh I looked into the mirror and started cleaning my face. I'd bled a lot, but I'd heard something somewhere about head wounds bleeding more than anywhere else. I got my cheek and forehead pretty clean but couldn't see how bad it was at my temple.

"Can you help me?" I asked embarrassedly. "I can't see very well with these tiny car mirrors."

"Sure." He got a new towel and bent my head towards him, gently rubbing off blood that had caked in my hair. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Oh good, and at least it's on the same side as my other scar." I waved at my cheek, indicating where a street urchin girl had tried to carve up my face. "If I keep this up people will think I'm Rambo."

"The shortest least threatening Rambo on the planet." He grumbled and dabbed iodine on the long shallow cuts. There were three and they ran deepest down my forehead, skipping on my eyebrow and just touching my cheekbone, miraculously missing my eye completely. "… I'm sorry I left you."

"This wasn't your fault Derek Souza. Don't you dare try to blame yourself." I stilled his hand, making him look into my eyes. "I'm serious."

He didn't answer, just taped gauze to my forehead. When he tried to get out of the car I caught his arm and tugged. It had about the same effect as if I had tried to move the Lincoln memorial, but he stopped anyway.

"Your turn." I ordered in my sternest voice.

He sat back, rolling his eyes as I handed him a bigger antiseptic towel and he started the long process of cleaning his chest and stomach.

Confession time; I may have had a little bit of trouble focusing on what I was doing (like breathing) while the wiping-down-the-abs process was ongoing. His blood had mostly dried and was just a matter of scrubbing to get it off but the wipe definitely left his skin wet, even if it was with antiseptic. The little overhead car light was by no means sexy low lighting or a flickering candle but he really really REALLY didn't need help. When he finished with his chest and upper stomach and all that was left was lower abdominals and just under the waistband of his jeans I had to get out of there.

I flung open the door and jumped out of the car, mumbling something about fresh air. I breathed deeply, burning my lungs with the freezing air and maybe inhaling a few snowflakes. I thought that it would be a good idea to check the area for graveyards or bodies and closed my eyes to cast my power out. I made it to about a quarter mile without hitting any corpse-feeling before a totally unrelated thought interrupted my scanning process.

If Derek only had time to put on his jeans then he's most likely not wearing boxers.

_Bad Chloe! Focus on what you're doing!_

_Soooo… he's totally got his hand-_

_LALALALALALALALALA!!!!_

"Chloe?" A deep voice that really didn't help with the whole not-thinking-of-Derek-as-sexy thing interrupted my thoughts.

I was surprised to see that I'd walked a little ways from the car and hurried back to the now open driver's side door.

He scowled at me. "After all that you go running off alone?!"

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered, trying desperately to keep my eyes and mind above his collarbone. His scowl was even a little endearing as it was such a classic Derek expression. "I-I-I just-" I took a deep breath.

His eyes softened and the scowl melted away to show traces of something else, fear. He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I-" He seemed to have trouble figuring out what he wanted to say.

"Hush." I told him, surprised by the gentleness that had snuck into my voice when I wasn't looking. I blushed and took a minute to check his chest, it was clean and (thank god) no longer wet. The scratches even had iodine on them. "Looks good." I tried to only look at the scratches when I said it but was sure I'd failed.

"Yeah." He rumbled, cupping my good cheek and tilting my face with his thumb. "You too." His eyes flicked up to my injury for a millisecond but while he spoke he was looking straight into my eyes.

We stayed there for what seemed like a really long time, the butterflies in my stomach having a party—a rave in fact. "I-I-" I didn't know what I was going to say.

_Oh I don't know, kiss me before I combust sounds about right._ Bad Chloe piped up.

_Hold me, never let me go, kiss me until I see stars._ Good Chloe chimed in.

I broke eye contact first, afraid that Derek would see what I was thinking. I wasn't afraid of him kissing me—quite the polar opposite—I was terrified of him _not_ kissing me. Or worse, me kissing him and him pulling away.

_Way to be original Chloe, scared of rejection._

_Not rejection! Scared of rejection from Derek. Totally different things._ I argued back.

Derek's hand dropped and I looked up quickly to see him looking into the back of the SUV. "Was there anything in the back?"

"No."

"Good." He didn't look at me as he got out of the car, carefully pulling a long-sleeved black shirt on over his wounds and went to put down the back seats, making a big flat area out of the back of the car and spreading out the only sleeping bag.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was doing.

_Why does it always come back to a bed??_ I wondered desperately, making myself useful by pulling all of the thermal blankets out of the first aid kit and handing them to him.

"Come on, you need to sleep." He stepped back to let me crawl past him. "I'll crash in the passenger seat."

I actually giggled at that, I couldn't help it, after all we'd been through it just was the last straw. My giggling turned to laughter which to my horror melted into tears. I put my head down and let big hot tears stream down my face.

_Oh god I was nearly eaten tonight. I was used as bait, they used me to hurt Derek. They won't stop hunting us, this will never stop. They had orders to kill Derek, they were going to kill him, I would never ever see him again. I would probably accidentally torture him by putting his soul back in his body, raising him as a decomposing zombie, never finding out about it because they would bury him in a grave somewhere in the forest. He would be stuck in that body forever. I. AM. A. MONSTER._

The thoughts just chased each other mercilessly in my mind, getting darker and darker and making me hate myself more and more. It took me a while to calm down long enough to notice that I was leaning into Derek and he had his arms around me, mouth pressed in my hair, mumbling those silly nonsensical things that always seem to make someone hysterical feel better.

I unwrapped my arms from my knees and clung to him, feeling like the stupid girly heroine who doesn't do anything but get in trouble and rely on someone bigger and stronger to come rescue her. Even though she knows that it would be a million times worse if he got hurt and she lived.

Derek froze and I realized that I was talking.

"Please please don't come to rescue me again, please, I can't- I don't- please don't put yourself in danger anymore." I was babbling hysterically, making me feel even more pitiful and useless. I couldn't even hold it together for half a minute.

I felt myself jerked forcefully back as Derek's fingers bit into my shoulders. I blinked to clear my eyes and saw his face full of fury, his eyes burning less than a foot away from mine. "Do not ever. EVER say that again." He shook me with each 'ever.' "If you think I could leave you behind… you're so stupid Chloe!" He growled, literally reduced from words and just glared at me. After a minute he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I couldn't live with myself if you were… I couldn't. You're my-" He broke off abruptly, looking away.

_Mate. Mate. Say Mate._ A part of me cried, surprising me.

_Why can't we start a little slower than that? _I asked it.

_Because this is the way it's MEANT to be. _

I knew that I was right but I needed for him to say it because I was a coward.

"My friend." He finished firmly.

This time I looked away, a fresh round of tears coming to my eyes. "Yeah." I mumbled.

Derek pulled the crinkly aluminum-colored blankets from where I had dropped them and tossed one over me. "Go to sleep."

I lay down, facing away from him and knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay guys, I was saving this for tomorrow but I'm afraid of a riot. Thanks for sticking it out for sixteen chapters ;P I can't wait to break 200 reviews! I honestly cannot wait for you guys to read this one so I'm going to be brief in my AN.  
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**Mandy- Solidarity my friend, for real. And yeah, the updates should be a little headache-inducing (por moi) if I really want to get this done before The Reckoning (and I totally do).**

**Jessi, and Yoli- Better buckle up if you thought the last chapter was good ~.^**

**Ghost, Amanda, Silver Bird, Kenhat, Jamie Kay, Kat and Black Heart- This chapter is my gift to you.  
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Chapter 17

My brilliant prediction was right, I couldn't sleep. I lay there with my eyes wide open and alternated between thinking about the Australian werewolf with his claws around my throat and slashing my face and Derek, telling me I was just his friend. I knew Derek wasn't asleep either because he was sitting up next to me, watching the dark forest around us, the windows cracked so he could hear or smell what he couldn't see.

It was the most stifling car I had ever been in. Eventually I gave up and opened the door nearest me. As I climbed out, sticking my feet in my shoes without lacing them I mumbled something about going to the bathroom, leaving the door ajar behind me because I knew Derek would be pissed off if I closed it.

I did not have to go to the bathroom. I walked just inside the trees nearest us and started pacing restlessly. I hadn't put on my coat intentionally; I wanted to feel the wind bite through my clothes like a cold shower to help me clear my head.

Derek let me pace for a few minutes before following me silently. He leaned against a tree, arms crossed and waited for me to stop. "What's up?" He asked when I paused.

"N-Nothing." I told him, turning to do another round in the little path I had trampled down.

He let me, waiting until I was close and facing him again. "Liar."

I stopped. I was not the brave talkative type; I did not like talking about my feelings, especially to the person that those feelings were directed at. On the other hand, I knew that if I didn't say anything I was never going to get to sleep. On the other hand if he rejected me I would never sleep again period.

I took a breath and looked at him. Something occurred to me, something that I had tried to think of a few nights before but couldn't place it. Derek looked like comfort and stability and all that but what he really reminded me of—even with his arms crossed and face void of emotion, even knowing he thought of me as a friend—he looked like home. I had to look away because my stomach clenched so tightly I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.

"I… I need to talk to you." I started hesitantly.

Derek spread his hands in an I'm-standing-right-here-so-talk gesture.

I went slowly, to make sure I wouldn't trip over the words. "But I guess I don't really want to because it's going to-HOLY CRAP!" I had started pacing again and when I turned around saw that there had been a man standing behind me. It took me a second to realize that he was holding an axe but when I glanced very carefully back at Derek I saw that he was only watching me, no sign of alarm in his impassive expression. "Ghost." I breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to see an axe swinging down towards my head.

I screamed and stumbled backwards, falling on my butt at Derek's feet-or it would have been my butt if boy wonder hadn't caught my upper arms. One thing was for sure, this was not how I had envisioned this conversation going.

"Oh hell no! No more interruptions!" After the fear had (mostly) faded I got angry. This was too much, first I realize that I'm freaking in love with Derek of all people, then I get kidnapped by a man-eating Australian werewolf, then I run into an axe murderer in the woods. _What are the odds?_ "I so cannot deal with you right now." I told the lumberjack-gone-bad and I pushed him. I made the motion even though it was unnecessary and pushed my hands away from my body, shoving my power at him like a wave and his image shuddered like smoke before flickering away.

"Better?" Derek asked blandly and let go of my arms. "You should get inside the car before you catch hypothermia."

"No damnit I still have to talk to you!" I stamped my foot in frustration, the effect of which was minimized since the snow muffled the sound. I started again hesitantly, sans axe man this time. "I-I'm just afraid it'll mess everything up… I… I know that you're going to be angry with me." _If you reject me_.

He was silent for a long moment. "Chloe… I already know."

"I-… you do?" I flushed, _was I really that obvious?_

"Yeah and I don't care."

There was a ringing sound in my ears, I think it was my heart. "Don't care?" I repeated stupidly.

"No. I don't care." He turned on his heel and walked back towards the car.

I stood frozen for a minute; sure there had been a misunderstanding. "B-But I-I thought-"

"You thought wrong." He opened the passenger seat door and sat inside.

For the hundredth time that night I felt tears slide down my face as I stumbled after him in the dark. "P-P-Please…"

"What do you want from me Chloe?" He exploded, jumping back out of the car and towering over me. "You want my blessing?"

That stopped me. "W-What?"

"Fine. Good luck on your life together." His face was dead calm and his tone was flat but his eyes glowed.

Okay, now I was really confused. I took a minute to compose myself. "Derek what are you talking about?"

"What you want me to say it? Will that make you happy?" I was beginning to see cracks in his mask of calm and what I saw there scared me. A mixture of pain, betrayal, fury, even fear. "I don't care if you and Simon-"

"S-S-Simon?" This time I spluttered, not from my speech impediment but from disbelief and relief. I understood the emotions on his face now and I wasn't worried anymore, but I was a little annoyed. "It's not my fault Simon got handsy!"

"You sure didn't put up much of a fight!"

I glared at him. "Well would you have been as surprised if he had kissed **YOU **in the dark?" Wow. Really did not mean for that to come out the way it sounded.

Derek blinked, momentarily taken-aback. "Probably a _little_ more surprised."

I chose to ignore the direction that that took the conversation. "I was kinda shocked and a little mad, he didn't even ask, or give me the chance to refuse. He was actually pretty presumptuous about the whole thing." I tried to subtly wipe away my tears now that I was done thinking he'd rejected me.

"So you _didn't_ want Simon to kiss you?" He asked in the tone that people usually reserved for things like 'so you _did not_ have sex with that woman mr. president?'

"No." I said quietly. "It's not that he's not cute but… I'm just not interested in Simon like that."

"Great." He muttered quietly. "Someone else."

I stared at him, actually managing a small smirk. "God you are so dumb for a super genius."

He paused now and seemed to sink in that I had said that I wasn't interested in Simon. I could see the gears in his overlarge brain going into overdrive. Then something in his face changed in a good way, like he had just remembered that this had all started because I wanted to talk to him and that it would change things. "… What? What were you talking abou-" He couldn't even finish and stood staring at me. "Not about Simon? … And not about someone else…?"

I shook my head, looking at my feet, all my courage used up for the month.

He tilted my face back up with a finger under my chin. "Then who..?"

I put my hands around his forearm, finally meeting his eyes. I shook my head, blushing. "You are SO dumb."

Very slowly he brushed the rest of my tears away with the pads of his paw-rough thumbs. When I tilted my face into his hands he leaned down and when I didn't step back or turn and run away screaming, pressed his lips to mine. It was probably the most worried kiss anyone had ever given in the history of kisses, it also made me feel like the butterflies in my stomach could make me fly. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Before I knew it he had lifted me up, arms around my torso and waist.

The kiss was as chaste as Simon's had been, but longer, and infinitely more wonderful. Not that there was anything wrong with Simon, he just wasn't Derek, totally different league, stratosphere in fact.

Derek pulled back to look at my face, taking the arm away from my waist so he could brush my hair back behind my ears where it had fallen forward, I hooked my ankles behind his back to stay in place. It was too dark to see all of his expression but from his widened eyes I got the general gist of it. "W-Why the hell would I be angry?" For once it was him stuttering instead of me and I giggled, making him scowl at me but his heart wasn't in it. "Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling high with the taste of Derek still on my lips. "Lord give me patience." I ran my fingers through his hair again, tugging it to get his mouth at the angle I wanted. "SO dumb." This time I kissed him first.

* * *

I woke up in the circle of Derek's arms, but for once didn't yelp or jump up. After I kissed him the night before we got back in the car and… Get your brain out of the gutter, jeez. We curled up, cuddling intentionally this time, and slept like the dead. No pun intended.

I slept better than I had since going to Lyle House, and judging by Derek's even breathing, he still was. I carefully eased out from under his arm and crawled into the passenger seat to look at our food options in my bag. They were unfortunately pretty limited. I settled on dried apricots and papaya with a mournful sigh.

Movement in the back alerted me to Derek's return to the land of the living.

He looked up at me in the front seat and groaned, rubbing his face tiredly.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked, assuming his griping was about the breakfast options.

"… Really good." He paused and looked at me, eyes shunting away quickly again as his face flushed. "Just had… dreams."

I climbed back with the food and looked at him worriedly. "What about?"

"I was tortured… really bad torture." From his tone it sounded like a good dream but the description sounded pretty unpleasant.

"I'm sorry." I brushed the hair out of his face, not being able to resist how adorable a blush was on him, and there were very few times when I could call Derek adorable. Touching him without being rescued or supporting him while his innards warped around was actually pretty nice, I couldn't get enough of it honestly.

He looked at me sharply, nearly impaling himself on my fingers. "… Not a dream?"

"Uhh… do you mean the torture or the kissing?" I blushed now.

A slow smile spread across his face and he reached to run his fingers through my hair. "If the kissing had been a dream then it would be torture."

I blushed again and grinned like an idiot, shaking my head. "Lord give me patience."

"I know… dumb." He pulled a strand of my hair gently and nodded towards the dried fruit. "Tell me that's not breakfast."

"'Fraid so." I offered him a piece and he made a face.

"Do you even know what that is?"

"Papaya."

"… What the hell is papaya?" He took a tentative bite.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Radioactive pink spider legs."

He rolled his eyes and sat up, letting the blanket slide off of his chest. While he ate I lifted his shirt and examined his wounds… in a totally objective medical way.

Yeah right.

"You look like you're healing pretty quickly." I said, surprised as I looked at the raised flesh. "Does it hurt?"

He rolled his shoulders, testing for soreness and shrugged. "Not really. I know they're there but they aren't actively painful."

The rolling of the shoulders caused the muscles in his chest and upper arms to move under my fingertips where I had pressed lightly on the edges of the scratches and I dropped them quickly, letting his shirt fall back into place. I got into the passenger seat, pulling down the mirror to check my scratches and hide my blush. They were not healing quickly. The skin around them was darkening nicely and would be a pretty wicked bruise for awhile but the scratches on my cheek were minor, nothing more than if I had been scratched by a rosebush. Since my forehead didn't look infected I just changed the bandage quickly.

"… Chloe." Derek said, voice pitched low with a hint of warning.

I sighed. "It's not that bad Derek."

"Chloe get down now!"

I dropped just before the passenger side window explosively collapsed in. It was bulletproof glass so it wasn't an impressive spray but it was pretty freaking scary if you were crouched right beneath it. There was a grinding noise as Derek turned on the car and slammed it into reverse, dumping me completely on the floor in front of my seat. I took a heartbeat to be really impressed at how quickly he'd gotten into the driver's seat.

When I tried to get up a heavy hand pushed my head back down.

"Shit!" Derek said, slamming the steering wheel with his palm when we were ten minutes away and he finally let me get up off the floor. "I should have checked for a lo-jack! Goddamnit!"

"Just get us to a city and then we'll ditch the car!" I hastily shoved the lightweight blankets into my backpack and put on my shoes. Suddenly Bad Chloe had an idea. "Park near the police station."

"WHAT?"

"Just trust me and do it!" I snapped back.

We were closer to a city than I thought, it was small but not small enough so that everyone would recognize each other on the streets. We ditched the car a block from the police station (that smart phone was freaking awesome, GPS you are godly) and got away from it as quickly and surreptitiously as possible.

"What now Rambo?" Derek rumbled in my ear when we were half a mile away.

"Can you hotwire a car?"

Derek gave me an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"

"Look you fixed up an old ass bike so it would run, so can you hotwire a car?" I hissed back.

"Hotwiring isn't exactly in Auto Mechanics for Dummies."

"Oh great you pick NOW to develop a sense of humor?" We rounded a corner, collars turned up and scarves covering half our faces like every other person trying to protect themselves from the bitterly cold wind. "There." I pointed to a little diner tucked back from the street.

We pushed open the door, setting a little silver bell ringing. The place was crowded for lunch and we grabbed a booth in the back corner, both ordering from the breakfast menu. It was one of those awesome restaurants that served "the best breakfast in town" all day.

When the trucker breakfast with a short stack of pancakes and extra sausage and the order of French toast arrived (bet you can't guess who ordered what), we dug in with a vengeance. We'd been running on a few pieces of pizza and camp food for well over 30 hours and Derek's ribs were starting to show.

"So what's the plan genius?" Derek asked after he'd finished over half his breakfast in the time it took me to eat two pieces of French toast.

"We steal a car." I said, voice pitched low enough that only he would hear it.

"Yeah I gathered that you wanted to do that, anymore specifics?"

"From the police impound lot." I finished, barely fitting half a triangle of toast in my mouth in one bite.


	18. Chapter 18

**Wow. There were a LOT of reviews. I guess you guys were waiting for that kiss huh? :D Now back to the grindstone. It's just work work work with you slave drivers.**

**Nema Dragon, Jamie Kay, and Ghost- I feel like bad Chloe has taken on the role of a completely seperate character with her own agenda. It's fun to write her ^.^**

**Mandy- I read over it again when I updated and was like "NOOO!! Don't reject her!! Look at how bad she's stuttering! How can you be so cruel?!"**

**Lizzie- Well as we all know bad relationships suck so here you go!**

**Ayonne- Well that is alot of students, my biggest class was 25. Yeah, super tiny.  
**

**Spencer, Chloe S.,Burning Bright, OMG, Silver Bird, Black Heart, Emmoria, Jessi, FC Girl, and Kate- I'm glad that it lived up to your expectations! Every time I wanted to make them kiss I was like... not yet! Now that they have I feel so relieved. Phew now that that tension is out of the way... (and somebody call the paramedics for Silver B.)  
**

**Attic Flower- After writing this fan fic and the really amazing feedback I've gotten from you guys I'm going to batten down the hatches and finally write that young adult novel I've been working on forever and a day.**

**Kat- I seriously thought you'd died. I was like WTF was there not some sixth sense nagging at you like Azure's-written-a-kiss-must-go-read-now!! Regardless of your tardiness (which I forgive) I'm glad you liked it!**

**Kat's Paws- The crazy thing about K. Armstrong is that she writes a lot of short enovels and it would be totally ironic if she wrote her own fanfic! But alas no, I am not her so make sure you read The Reckoning and support a badass writer like her! ^.^  
**

**Sydney the Great- I am always on the look-out for new reading material! Usually when I decide to write it's because there's some unresolved feelings that are driving me bonkers but I would be more to read whatever you suggest!**

**Hee- I'm very flattered that you took the time to read another of my stories! Unfortunately for my readers of those stories I like writing this one alot more and am more motivated. I do feel a little guilty but the plausibleness of Kelley Armstrong's stuff gets me every time.**

**Body and Soul- I've already got the one-shot pretty planned out and it will definitely be an M and I will try my best to write it in true adult Kelley Armstrong style! The real question is do I write it in Chloe's POV or Derek's?  
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Chapter 18

Derek stared at me. "I'm sorry, I must have heard wrong it sounded like you just said-"

"Hush up grumpy and finish your eggs." I jabbed my fork at his plate pointedly.

"_Grumpy??_" His eyes were so wide and disbelieving I worried about them falling out of his head. And I liked his eyes.

I ignored him and focused on my toast, it was amazing and hot and my cup of hot tea was warm and delicious. I decided that after all this running for our lives crap was over; I was going to have hot breakfasts every single morning.

"So." Derek gave me a measured look after a few minutes of quiet and I prepared to explain my brilliant grand theft auto plan. "How did you know I got shot?"

I choked on my tea. This was a conversation I was so hoping not to have. Ever. I coughed and cleared my throat. "Ahem… How is your leg by the way?"

"Fine. You're not getting out of this." He stared me down and I was beginning to have second thoughts about caring if his eyes fell out.

My mind raced with possible white lies, each crazier than the last while Derek waited patiently for me to spill my guts. "I… Uh… heard it?"

"And got there before Clay and Elena? I don't think so."

"I was taking a walk in the woods!" I said desperately.

"Barefoot and without a jacket?"

"The cold was invigorating."

"Chloe…" There was the pre-lecture warning note in his voice.

I looked away, stalling as much as I could and gathering my courage. "Ah… well… uhm… I may have been meditating and kinda sorta a little bit seen it happen… in my mind…"

He frowned, super brain working to figure it out, then he stopped moving completely, cup of orange juice halfway to his mouth. "And _where **exactly**_ were you when you had this vision?"

"Eh heh heh… sitting in the cabin?"

"_Chloe._"

The phone Clay had given me buzzed and I jumped then grinned. "Better get that!" While Derek kicked his scowl wattage up to ten I checked the phone and almost whimpered when it was just a text message from Elena. I considered pretending it was a really important call from, like, President Obama but scrapped that plan when I realized Derek would be able to hear that there wasn't any one on the other line.

However, the text message did make me pause.

**Chloe-Forgot to tell you. Call Jaime Vegas, necromancer. She can help.**

Underneath was a number with an area code I didn't recognize though the name sounded vaguely familiar. I was getting ready to punch in the number when Derek took the phone from me.

"Hey! I want to call her!"

"I'll ask you who later. Now tell me."

"About what?"

"CHLOE."

"Damnit. Okay. I was… when I meditated I was maybe a little bit-"

"Point. Now."

"Sortainyourbody." I finished quickly. Like pulling off a Band-Aid or opening Pandora's box or a combination of the two.

"_In _my body…?" He looked like he had been expecting that answer but was still shell-shocked. "That's… That's not good."

"Yeah."

"And… you know why that's not good?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. Okay."

"Yeah."

"It could be a fluke, a one-time meditative necromantic thing." He suggested it in a way that made me think he was saying it for my benefit, like he knew it wasn't and had known for awhile.

"It's not." I was ripping my paper napkin to shreds, not looking at him. "Clay, Liam and Elena could apparently smell… it… on me." I took a breath, as long as I was going to hell I might as well get it all out there. "And I've been able to feel… I guess your power or energy or whatever for awhile now."

There was a solid thunk as Derek dropped his body weight back against the booth, I risked a glance—fearful of his expression—and saw he was looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well this would have gone a lot smoother if I'd known that you were aware of the signs."

"Glad you're taking it so well." I said drily, I paused, remembering something important. "So. Was this what Elena meant when she said that you'd have to tell me about something?"

"Yes." Ah the king of sugar-coating strikes again.

"Aaaand how long have you known?"

He kept looking at the ceiling. "About three and half months. Since Liam mentioned it."

"Aaaaand you were planning on telling me when exactly?"

"… Never?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever Mr. I'm-bound-to-you-for-life-but-am-not-going-to-tell-you… If you knew then why were you surprised?"

"… No reason."

"Derek!" I glared at him.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "There are… different types of… well…"

"Derek goddamnit." There was no way I was going to let him get off the hook after he made me get all confessy.

He fixed his eyes on the ceiling again. "There's the basic level of compatibility, that's what most weres have now, it's a chemical attraction but not supernatural. Then there is the… automatic claim. They have a deeper connection and other weres can tell that they're… bonded."

"So that's what we are?" I asked, trying to be mature about the whole thing but still blushing like crazy. Stupid fair skin.

Derek looked at me now, eyes unreadable and shook his head slowly. "There's… one more. Clay and Elena are one of the few true mates in the past century. It's a… spiritual thing in addition to the claim. It's been known to escalate to where one partner is aware of the other even when they're unconscious."

"Hoo boy." I fidgeted and when Derek didn't respond I slid the phone back across the table, resisting the urge to dial the necromancer with the speed of light (or dark since I was a… well you get my drift.) and focused on Derek again.

Our waitress, a fifty plus woman with a tired smile came over to check on us. After I checked to make sure my adorable wool beanie was covering my bandages—definitely didn't need anyone accusing Derek of domestic abuse right now—I ordered two pieces of apple and cherry pie. When she left Derek was looking at me speculatively, objectively, like a scientist.

"You know that… you're not stuck with me right?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean… last night… you just… you have other options."

"You think…" I stared at him. He really thought I'd kissed him out of some sense of obligation. I gave him a really sympathetic look. "You're right."

He looked away, mouth thinning into a tight line. I pulled back my leg and kicked him as hard as I could in the shin under the table. He actually yelped, causing the people at the booth next to us to look over.

"Bit his tongue." I smiled at them and they looked back at their meals quickly, embarrassed at having been caught spying.

I dropped my voice low and made my tone as sweet as possible. "You're right. Why would I want to be with a stupid. Dense. Unromantic. Dumb. Self-deprecating…" I couldn't decide whether to say boy, man or werewolf and settled on, "_Male_ like you!"

He winced. "That really hurt you know."

"It's not my fault you're stupid."

"I meant the kicking."

"Well it's not my fault you deserved it." I gave him a superior look, pretending that I hadn't just proved myself immature by kicking him in the shin. "Are you done trying to sell yourself short?"

He rubbed his shin under the table with a wry twist of his mouth. "Yeah."

I have to say, I really liked his mouth when it wasn't all scowly. It was surprisingly… sensual I guess. He was actually surprisingly sensual, just remembering him picking me up to kiss me as easily as if I weighed nothing, those really muscular arms wrapped around…

"Earth to Chloe." His hand was waving in front of my face and probably had been for the past minute. "Glad to see you landed space cadet."

I flushed but stuck my tongue out at him. "Did you get that snarky humor from Simon?"

He shrugged. "It rubs off when you live with someone for over a decade."

"Great... Okay, just so we're crystal clear let's go over this one more time. Repeat after me, I did not kiss you because I thought I was stuck with you."

"You did not kiss me because you thought you were stuck with me." He barely controlled a smile.

"And not because I was bored or lonely. You don't have to repeat that part. I did it because I wanted to and have wanted to. You do have to repeat that part."

"You did it because you wanted to."

"Very good. I knew you were a good student."

The pie arrived and I pushed both pieces in front of Derek. "Eat. I'm going to make a call." I picked up the phone and stood, when he hesitated I sighed. "Look I'm just going by the pay phone to do it. You can watch." I pointed at the old-fashioned pay phone area in the hall to the bathrooms.

I didn't wait for his approval and was already dialing as I walked. As the other line started ringing I panicked a little, what would I say? I ran out of time as a woman picked up.

"Hello?"

"C-can I speak to J-Jaime Vegas please?" I took a breath, trying to calm down.

"Conversing."

"Oh. Hi. Uh… my name is Chloe Saunders…"

"_Chloe!_ Elena said you'd be calling me, what can I do for you?" She laughed. "Well I guess that's obvious, you want to talk with another Necromancer huh?"

"Ah… Well… Yes. Please. I was hoping to take a minute of your time."

"Are you part of the _group field trip_ tomorrow?" She asked.

I assumed—hopefully correctly—that she meant the attack on the Edison Group's main compound. "Yes I think."

"So you're in New York? Great. A friend and I are actually going to need a pick up from Rochester Airport at 8am tomorrow, if you can do it then that frees up whoever was supposed to do it from the Interracial Council. You do have a car right?"

"Ah… well… we will by then."

There was a pause as she seemed to grasp my meaning, if only vaguely. "I like where your head's at. See you then!" She hung up.

I stared at the phone. Well that was interesting.

I remembered the check when I looked up and saw the waitress heading to our table with it, then remembered where I kept the money stashed. I went into the ladies room and pulled a roll of twenties out of my bra. Classy right? Well they were actually just folded in half and stuck in my underwire since a roll would show with my un-Lola like curves.

We left a hefty tip and walked out. We'd managed to kill about an hour and half of time but it was still only mid-afternoon and to do what I planned it needed to be full dark. Just as I was about to start walking in random buildings to kill time and get out of the cold Derek pulled me across the street and into the library.

I knew I kept him around for a reason.

We nodded and I smiled at the librarian who looked like a small-town librarian should, nice and non-threatening. She didn't bother us as we walked into a far back corner where a few comfortable looking armchairs were scattered. As soon as I sat down Derek picked up a nearby table and set it easily in front of the chairs. It wasn't big enough to really raise suspicion but I gave him a look nonetheless.

He pulled the werewolf manuscript out of the backpack and spread it on the table. "Where is it?"

I assumed he meant the part about mates and flipped through until I found it. It wasn't long, most of it talked about having werewolf babies—which I was so not interested in right now—and there was only half a page that went into any details about the "wolf spirit" mates. I could NOT read that without giggling to myself.

"Didn't you already read this?" I asked him quietly.

"Of course. But I skimmed over this part, it seemed irrelevant."

"Yeah. Real irrelevant." I said sarcastically.

"HEY. If I had been one hundred percent sure that you smelling like that meant-"

"Smelling like what?!" I leaned back and pulled my legs up in the big chair.

"Oh come on. It's not-" He sighed and to my surprise blushed. "Damnit it's…"

I suddenly remembered something, my dream from when I first dozed off in the cabin and I dreamed of being part of a pack and about a girl who smelled like… "A field of strawberries." I murmured absent-mindedly.

Derek's head snapped around from where he had been looking anywhere but at me. "What did you say?"

_Oh crap._ Now I had to tell him about the OTHER time too. Le sigh. "I fell asleep after you came to see me when you first changed completely." I smiled and touched my cheek, remembering his wolf kiss. When I caught him looking I blushed too. "I… dreamed."

He raised his eyebrows and nodded for me to continue. It was a very impatient nod, bordering on sassy. "About being a wolf and thinking about… a girl. Who smelled like that."

"That's it. I'm not changing when you're asleep—or meditating—ever again." He said solemnly. But he caught the end of my scarf, eyes on mine while he deliberately untied it and pulled me forward by my coat lapel.

When I went without resistance he buried his face in the curve of my neck and inhaled deeply, breathing out in an almost sigh. If he had been in his other form I guarantee his tail would have been wagging. I shivered as his sigh skittered across my skin, raising goosebumps. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up to see the librarian giving us a stern look.

I smiled sheepishly and sat back in my chair, she went back to her work with a wry smile and shake of her head. Very lenient lady, I liked her.

"So…" I started when I felt like I could breathe again. "I don't smell like Simon anymore?"

Derek's eyes snapped in focus and hardened. I regretted saying anything as he shook his head slowly. "No more than you smell like Tori or Andrew."

"Well that's good, he sure caused plenty of problems with his little… I don't know what it was."

"Unwanted display of affection?" Derek suggested.

"Well yeah that, I definitely didn't see my firs-" I bit the word off short and prayed that Derek didn't pry.

He did. "Your. What?" He asked pleasantly.

"My friend doing that."

He watched me, eyes flinty, just waiting me out. I fidgeted and tried to read, even turning in the chair so that I was facing away from him and still felt his stare boring into the back of my neck.

"My first kiss okay?" I snapped finally. "Like I said, guys weren't really tripping over themselves to talk to me at my old school."

Derek seemed to battle between the urge to snap Simon's neck and forgive his brother since he got the girl in the end. I hadn't seen him struggle this much between his human and wolf halves since he changed.

"Hey." I got his attention. "I really don't think we need teen drama on top of what's going on, let it go for now okay?"

He thought about this and finally nodded. "Fine. But if we don't need drama then we should also wait to figure out this-" He waved between the two of us. "Until we're done with the attack."

While his logic was sound and so Derek-like, it still stung. I tried not to let it show as he closed the manuscript with a snap.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys I'm super tired but I wanted to give you two chapters a day on the weekend and one during the week. Enjoy. I'm going to go pass out.**

**Black Heart-Thank you for the editing, my bad sleeping habits are catching up to me .**

**Sydney- Thank you, I've read house of night but I'll check the others out when I'm done reading Fang!**

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Chapter 19

I made it about thirty seconds of sitting there, trying to pretend not to be hurt and toughen up while Derek leaned back in his armchair, looking for all intents and purposes like he was taking a nap._ Fine then_. I stood and walked away from the chairs, careful not to go by Derek's because I knew he would catch me and drill me with questions, where was I going, what was I doing, etc.

_He's a jerk and a hypocrite._ I mentally grumbled.

_A HOT jerk and hypocrite._ I mentally sighed back.

_A WEREWOLF jerk and hypocrite who doesn't trust me to keep my hormones in check for ONE day and eats MIRACLE-GROW for breakfast!_ I mentally grumbled at my mentally sighing voice.

Before the part of me that was still mooning over Derek (heh, get it, cause he's a werewolf… never mind.) could respond, a certain miracle-grow munching lycanthrope caught my arm. I'd made it about halfway to the computers and was in an aisle of shelves.

I sighed out loud this time and turned to tell him that I was just going to use the computers and to not be an overprotective crazy not-boyfriend or not affection partner or not whatever when I felt a hand fist in my hair. Another hand laced around my lower back and pulled me roughly against a really drool-worthy body. I didn't even have time to blush and tell him to leave me alone before he caught my lips with his.

_Jerk and hypocrite!_ Still grumpy Chloe yelled while the other ninety nine percent of Infatuated-with-Derek-Chloe pushed her fingers traitorously in his hair. This kiss was not as chaste as the one the night before. He didn't grope me or anything, I really couldn't see Derek doing that without my express permission, but his body pressed along the length of mine and he captured my lower lip, brushing it with his tongue… yeah it was game over. Derek had me in the palm of his hand now. Chloe was officially as stead-fast and unyielding as silly putty.

He pulled back and I whimpered, completely forgetting about keeping my hormones in check and tugged his hair, earning myself another gentler and shorter kiss. After which he held me possessively with his mouth just touching my hair, breath shuddering down my neck. I let him go when he pulled away the second time but slid my hands flat against chest, ear pressed over his heart—which I was a little pleased to note was pounding. I think mine had stopped beating all together.

"It's not a matter of what I want Chloe." His deep voice rumbled through his chest as I kept leaning against it. "It's a matter of doing what is logical."

I sighed grumpily, but not at him now, at the situation. "And you always do what's logical." I hadn't meant for the little edge of sarcasm to creep into my voice but there it was.

He growled lightly. "You are so-"

"Stubborn?" I said helpfully.

"No. You are a hundred times worse than stubborn."

I raised an eyebrow and pulled my head back to look at him. Okay to look UP at him, way up.

"You… you make it hard for me to focus on anything else." He didn't break eye contact with me, those wickedly green eyes burning, seeing into me and working like a magnet to bring every ounce of blood in my body up to my cheeks. "And I have to be able to focus for at least the next day and a half."

"So… after a day and a half…" I said, encouraging him to elaborate.

"We'll have a lot to talk about." He kissed me again, short but demanding and possessive, like his temper and personality. It also led me to believe that we wouldn't _only_ be talking, thank god. "I'm going to rest, stay in sight." With that he let me go and walked back to the chairs, leaving me open-mouthed and flustered. To keep from showing him that—the last thing I needed was for him to know just how much he affected me—I shakily finished my journey to the computers.

I sat down and stared at the computer's blank screen for a few minutes before a low chuckle snapped me out of it. I didn't have to look back at Derek, nope, no reason to encourage him. _Jerk._

I finally thought of something good to look up. I remembered hearing Andrew mention—in that fateful conversation at the safe house—that I had more power in my pinky than my great grandmother. I knew that there were other necromancers in the family but it seemed odd that he would mention her specifically.

I started with those annoying family tree sites that only let you get like four names before asking for your money even though they SAY they're free. I searched my mom's maiden name "Fellows" and made it a few generations back before hitting a dead end. But I did learn that like a hundred years ago before they came to New York, my family had been in New Orleans.

I searched for "Fellows" in New Orleans and got about two hundred hits. Annoying.

Next I hit my head against the keyboard in frustration and glared at the screen. It didn't get me very far surprisingly enough.

Then it hit me, and I wanted to smack myself for not thinking of it at the beginning of the whole escapade. In sixth grade I did a genealogy project for school and we'd had to post our projects online to pass the class. At the time I was super annoyed but now I was ecstatic. Then I sat glaring at the screen for another ten minutes, trying to remember what the stupid URL had been. I flipped through my live journal page while I waited for inspiration to hit.

For kicks I updated it, not anything too specific just including "ignoring ghosts" in my interests and stuff like that. As I was about to close the page I saw a little tab that I had forgotten about labeled "school projects." Heart pounding and fingers crossed, I clicked it.

It was a slow connection so I kept leaning closer to the screen, hoping it would somehow make it load faster.

"You know you could go blind doing that." A voice said behind me, making me yelp AND jump.

Derek dropped into the chair next to me, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Sleepy boys were so cute. Sleepy Derek was cute and… there were just so many adjectives I could interject I couldn't decide on one.

"What are you doing?" He asked finally.

I'd turned back to the screen, ignoring him for scaring me.

"Yes!" I said excitedly when I saw a URL labeled 'Stoopid geneology project' and clicked it.

"You know that both stupid _and_ genealogy are-"

"If you want to sit here you can't be a butthead." I sent a silencing glare his way. He was not impressed but let it go. I had been in middle school for god's sake! How critical can you get?? I guess if you have an IQ of like 200 then you can be _very_ critical.

The baby blue webpage popped up with white text, there were even a few fluffy cloud watermarks. I made it a point to not look at Derek.

"Is this your family tree?" He asked, leaning forward and trying to keep the twist of his mouth at pleasantly-interested instead of your-color-scheme-makes-me-want-to-point-and-laugh.

"Yes." I scrolled back, looking for some name that would jump out and say 'I'm a big bad ass necromancer!' But I hit my great grandmother and checked all four names, coming up with nothing interesting. I sighed.

"Thinking about what Andrew said?" Derek asked quietly.

"Yeah." I slumped back in my rolly-chair. "But I don't see anything."

He put his hand on the back of my chair and scrolled back further with the mouse. I was enjoying the moment of normalcy and closeness, just two teenagers almost cuddling and looking at…

"Woah!" I shot up and grabbed his hand, stilling the mouse after he had gone back a few generations. "That's it!" I couldn't believe I hadn't remembered. My teacher had commented on it in class, embarrassing the heck out of me at the time and subjecting me to a LOT of teasing until I switched schools again.

Sitting there innocently on screen were two names that actually did scream 'I'm a bad ass necromancer.'

Marie Paris b.1827-d.1895 and then her mother, Marie Laveau b.1801-d.1881.

"Well shit." I stated, sitting back in my chair. "The Voodoo queen of New Orleans." I looked at him, taking in his not-shocked expression. "But you already knew that."

He shrugged non-committaly.

I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Next time I am so finding a guy dumber than me."

When Derek didn't say anything I looked over and nearly jumped out of my skin, he looked like he wanted to rip someone's head off. "Next time?" He asked in a completely level and calm voice that I had learned to be worried about.

"You're not going to be one of those insanely jealous not-boyfriends are you? Cause I would just like to point out that it's the twenty-first century and they invented these things called 'Women's Rights' that you may have heard of."

"Not-boyfriend?" He rolled his eyes but took a calming breath anyway. "Sorry. It's not… It's the wolf part." He shrugged, embarrassed.

"Well the wolf part should read up on feminism." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous that statement sounded?"

"She was a voodoo priestess who I think coined the modern term 'zombie'." I ignored him.

"So we're changing the subject?"

"Which is actually wrong since Zombi was the name of an African god and she just happened to name her pet snake that." I continued, still ignoring him.

"Uh huh, definitely changing the subject."

"I'm totally going to summon her." I decided… decisively. "Come on, let's find a place to clean up before I meet the necromancer tomorrow."

--------

I stripped my clothes off and pulled back the shower curtain. Derek had broken the back door of a YMCA that was closed on Sundays and we both were taking full advantage of the locker rooms (starting with a serious bathroom trip which you don't really appreciate unless you have no bathroom for awhile). We were down to our last pair of clean clothes and I thought up a brilliant kill-time strategy after getting clean. Laundry. I'm just your everyday pragmatic necromancer with mad domestic skillz.

I let the hot water pound my sore muscles until I remembered that Derek and I were sorta kinda almost not-really together now and I should definitely not skip on shaving my legs. That added another ten minutes to my shower, I was one of those people who would shave their legs and then dry off and put on a skirt and THEN realize that they only shaved one leg, so when I shaved I did it meticulously with lots of checking.

While I went through the cleaning process I thought about being sorta kinda almost not-really Derek's girlfriend. The idea gave me Godzilla-sized-butterflies in my stomach. I thought about what Elena had said about mates, _it's a little like falling in love with the same person every time you see them._ It made me smile, so if they were right about the whole m-word thing, then I would have butterflies no matter how long I was with Derek. I decided I liked the fluttery feeling and that it would be okay for it to stick around for awhile.

After I dried my hair under those press-the-button-to-dry-off-your-hands machines they have in public bathrooms

When I finally got out of the locker room Derek gave me a loving 'I missed you so much' scowl. "What the hell took so long??"

"You know darn well that girl's take longer to shower than guys." I scowled back.

He turned on his heel and, rolling my eyes, I followed.

Luckily for us there was a washing machine and dryer in the basement of the YMCA. When we got inside I pinched enough detergent for one load since we didn't have very many clothes. I tossed mine in first—hey, I might have kissed him, but that doesn't mean I was ready for him to see my underwear! And then let Derek start the machine. When he finally sat down he was jumpy and in a really bad mood, even for him.

I pulled out the _Necromancia_ to ignore him and read but he kept twitching in my peripheral vision. Finally I gave up and glared at him.

"Fine. I'm sorry I took so long in the shower."

He paused mid-fidgit-twist thing and looked confused for a second—which was pretty rare for Derek, something really annoying must have been on his mind for him to be this preoccupied. "Oh. Okay."

"I'm guessing that that wasn't what was bothering you?"

"Bothering me?" He asked, settling uncomfortably in the plastic chair.

"You've been snappy and twitchy since you got out of the shower." I said incredulously, did he really think I wouldn't notice?

Derek looked embarrassed, which just made me even more curious.

"For heaven's sake!" I pulled the werewolf manuscript from the backpack, rolled it up and whacked him with it. It wasn't very hard and it was just to get him to focus but he scowled at me anyway. "Spill it Broody."

"I am not brooding."

"_Derek._" I imitated the exasperated tone he used with me when I was trying to weasel out of a question.

"It's this shirt!" He exploded finally.

I looked at it, it was the same black t-shirt that I had borrowed to sleep in, it was the only clean one left and I did not think using it as a sleepy shirt for one night made it dirty. When I didn't say anything, just looked at him he threw up his hands in frustration.

"It…"

"Has itching powder?" I asked hesitantly.

"_It smells like you._" He growled, fidgeting again.

"Aaaand that's… bad?" I was a little hurt. I thought we'd already been over the whole Chloe-isn't-stinky issue.

"NO." Finally he tore it off, opened the washing machine and tossed it in, sitting back down with a smug snort.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. He'd looked like a dog when it kicks dirt on something it doesn't like, a giggle worthy mental image if there ever was one.

"It's not funny." He crossed his arms over his chest and honest to god pouted. Well pouted for Derek, which was more of a grumpy glower.

That shut me up, not that he had reprimanded me for laughing, but that Derek was once again within touching distance shirtless and me being the observant person that I am, just noticed.

"It's really distracting." He said after a long minute, misinterpreting my silence. "It's hard to think straight."

"I know what you mean." I replied automatically, and then I had to find something really interesting to look at that was away while I felt a kind of creeping slow-burning blush attack my face.

When I got the guts to glance at him I saw that he was watching me, a slight tip to his lips that on anyone else would mean nothing but on Derek was a smile that made me feel like every inch of my skin was exposed. I turned completely around and pulled my legs up onto my chair, balancing my book on my knees and determined to ignore the half-dressed werewolf who liked the way I smelled.


	20. Chapter 20

**I am moving over the course of the next few days so that won't stop the updates since it's all already written but it will give me very limited time to write my author's notes and I figured you guys would rather have regular updates than the long AN. Just going to clarify on a couple of notes.**

**Kat- Marie Paris who was either 1 or 3/4 POC (person of color) would have been roughly Chloe's great great great great grandmother—as Marie Laveau lived at about the same time as Abraham Lincoln—making Chloe either 1/64th or 1/128th POC. I personally am 1/32nd Creek Indian and I have gray eyes and auburn hair (and snow-blindingly white skin). We Americans are mutts to the core, it's part of the beautiful thing about living here, you could honestly be related to _anybody_. ^.^ Also I'm not restricting myself to 24 I'm honestly not sure of an exact number as I still have a few to write but the last chapter and the epilogue are done so I'll let you know soon!  
**

**Black Heart- Breathe. I meant one a day, not a week. I would definitely not finish before The Reckoning came out if I only did one a week. And yes I meant to have the funky speech pattern, she was flustered!**

**Reverie- Yes I have read them but thanks for the suggestion!  
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**Everyone else! I love you all equally! That's why I'm giving you a chapter instead of individual attention, but please keep reviewing so I know you're still reading!  
**

**Thanks!**

**Az.  
**

Chapter 20

I found what I was looking for after half an hour of searching. Actually I just confirmed what I suspected. I'd read somewhere about certain gems that amplified or guarded power and my necklace was definitely one of those, I just needed to bleed on it to summon Marie Laveau as long as she hadn't been reincarnated.

Derek had taken the werewolf manuscript and was going over the whole thing, looking for any information on mates with a fine-tooth comb. He looked like he was trying to find all the downsides, weaknesses and the like that would be good to know before we took down our arch-nemesis.

"Huh." He said after a minute.

"What's up?" I asked, looking for my switchblade in the backpack.

"_In unguarded or highly agitated states, human's that are mated to werewolves can take on aspects of lycanthropy._" He read, being as objective as a scientist. He didn't even blush at the 'humans that are mated to werewolves' part. "Well that explains a lot."

"How do you mean?" I found my knife and hopped up on top of the dryer facing Derek.

"You've been… more assertive. And even a week ago I would have said that there was no way you would slap someone you barely knew."

It took me a second to work out what he meant, then I remembered. "Lola… That was because I'm… ah… m-worded to you?" Yeah there was no way I could even hint at that without blushing. The word '_Mate_' is just so… _loaded_.

"… M-worded?" Derek looked at me incredulously.

"Yes." I answered defiantly.

"Uh huh… But yes. I think that that was a watered down version of what happened when you were… taken."

"Super power surge?" I helped.

"… A lycanthropic adrenaline rush."

I sighed. "You just HAD to use bigger words didn't you?" I rolled my eyes, took off my necklace and slashed open my wrist with the knife.

Derek leapt to his feet with a panicked yelp as blood welled in the cut. "What the hell are you doing?"

Let me take a moment to clarify, I did not pop open a vein, I just cut the inside of my forearm but from Derek's perspective I totally looked like I slashed my wrist.

"Summoning." I dripped blood on the pendant until it was coated. "I need a personal affect."

He paused, thinking. "Your blood. Your genes."

I shrugged, accepting that it took him point two seconds to figure out what had taken me over half an hour. "It's watered down but it should work." I looked at the portrait of Marie Laveau senior I'd printed at the library and sharpened my eyes and mind to a thin pinpoint of focus thinking of…

"Vouliez-vous parler avec moi?" A woman who looked like she was in her twenties and dressed in leather pants and jacket was standing in front of me. She looked less fuzzy around the edges than a normal ghost, but I guess that's normal for necromancers, honestly I wouldn't know, I haven't died yet. She had sharp black eyes and extremely curly long black hair.

Well that was easy.

"Uh… No comprenday… French… ay." I said, waving my arms around like it would help get my point across.

Derek rolled his eyes and looked roughly where my gaze was focused. "Êtes-vous Marie Laveau?"

"Oui."

"Whee." I repeated since Derek couldn't hear her.

"Elle ne parle pas français. Est-ce l'anglais acceptable?"

My jaw dropped.

She gave Derek an appreciative once-over that bordered on lecherous. "Beau et intelligent. Si seulement je n'étais pas morte. Yes English is fine." She said so abruptly that it took me a minute to catch up.

"Uhh… Okay. Well then. I wanted to talk to you about my powers."

"You are a necromancer." She stepped forward, focusing on the areas next to my vital organs, I guess that was where my aura was strongest. "An extremely powerful necromancer, the most powerful I've ever seen." She looked troubled, then focused on my necklace.

"Where did you get that?" She asked sharply.

"Well this may come as a shock to you but I am-"

"Yes yes, some descendant of mine, I keep up with the times." She gestured at her very 80's outfit like it should be obvious then peered at me, fascinated. "Though obviously not closely enough. When did your powers first emerge?"

"I started seeing ghosts when I was a toddler. Mom gave me the necklace to protect me."

"A toddler? But then this should not be new to you."

"The necklace kept everything away until…" I glanced at my feet and blushed. "Ah until I started… bleeding."

She nodded shortly, as if this made perfect sense to her. "And who is he?" She glanced over her shoulder at Derek.

"Derek is my… uh… my…" Awkward. I was introducing my super-mate-but-not-boyfriend to my great times ten grandmother.

"I'm her mate." He said easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Mate?" She got closer to Derek and looked at him with those piercing eyes. "A werewolf?"

"Yes." I answered, then added for Derek's sake. "He's a werewolf."

"I've never been with a werewolf…" She sighed and lay her hand on Derek's stupidly defined stomach muscles, making him shiver and her smile wickedly.

"Hey! What do you mean never been with a-… stop fondling my damn boyfriend!" I snapped at her.

Derek's eyebrows shot up and he covered his stomach where her hand was, passing right through her.

"Sometimes I hate being dead." She mourned, tweaking one of Derek's nipples which made him shiver again. I figured he wouldn't feel a pinch so much as a draft but I was still furious.

"I will so blast you into the next life if you even think about doing that again." I was growling now, taking on those lycanthropic traits faster than you can say 'banana.'

"So jealous." She purred, trying to twist her fingers through his hair.

"Get off. Protective. Not jealous."

"I don't think he needs your protection."

"Yeah well you're not going to find out about his needs. Can you focus please?" I pinched the bridge of my nose.

A warm hand wrapped around the back of my neck and I looked up to see Derek looking amused. "Are things going well?"

"Oh shut it." I meant to snap but he had started rubbing his thumb down my neck in a gentle massage and it came out more as a sigh.

"C'est la vie." Marie sighed, took a deep breath and solidified completely.

A sharp intake of breath told me that Derek could now see her as well.

"Is this what ghosts look like to you?" He asked, leaning forward to look at her closer. "She looks so real."

"Oh I can be very real." She purred, running a hand from his collarbone to the waist of his jeans, fingers dipping straight through the material.

Derek jumped back with growl, whole body tense.

"So animalistic. Very sexy in a primal way." She tipped her head to the side, then shrugged. "I suppose I can live with my descendant being your… _mate._" She grinned at me.

I looked up at Derek. "Is anything ever going to be not the hard way?"

"Fine. Why did you summon me?" Marie sat gracefully in the chair that Derek had vacated.

"I guess… I really wanted to know if there was anything specific to our line that I should know about. Like weaknesses and strengths and stuff."

"And stuff." She repeated and I flushed. "My little girl, whatever weaknesses we have had can be nonexistent or amplified with you… My daughter pursued the question but you seem too sensible for that dangerous nonsense."

"The question?"

"Immortality." Derek answered for her. "But the furthest necromancers have gotten is eating living flesh."

"Say _what_?"

"Consuming. Flesh." Marie said slowly for my benefit. "Vampires and werewolves have longer lives because they are flesh eaters-"

"Some werewolves are flesh eaters." Derek corrected, eyes glittering dangerously.

She tipped her head with a shrug. "Fine, your ancestors ate human flesh and now that immortality has been thinned but the longer life is in your blood."

The idea occurred to me suddenly that if Derek was going to age slowly then he would outlive me. My heart skipped a beat and I felt like Lois Lane or Isabella Swan felt, old and withered next to my youthful partner.

Derek's eyes shifted to me, eyebrows shooting up when he saw my expression. "Chloe?"

"N-Nothing."

Derek looked more worried, he knew me well enough now to know that I stuttered when stressed or when I was hiding something.

"She realized she has a reason to think about the question." Marie said with a grin.

"Anything else helpful you have to say?" I cut her off before she could say anything else. I really didn't want Derek to think that I thought about our not-relationship in terms of decades.

"That was mine." She pointed to the bloodied necklace in my hand. "I got it from my grandmother, it is one of the very few aquamarines of that size. It becomes stronger and lighter in color with the purity of the powers it channels."

"It was red before my powers started developing."

She made a face. "Benjamin. My little dark necromancer."

"My uncle Ben?" I was shocked. "But… I thought…"

"That's how the jewel turns red dear one. Your uncle Ben had… _unusual_ tastes. When he used one girl's body and soul too many times the spirit went insane and tormented him until he jumped off of that building."

"What kind of inter-"

"Don't ask." Derek cut in with a sharp shake of his head. He looked disgusted.

"He was not just a necro_mancer_."

I put two and two together and gagged. Unusual tastes. Used a girl's body. Uncle Ben was a sadist of the highest order. "A-A-A n-necroph-"

"If it makes you feel better he only did it to one girl." Marie was examining her nails without interest. "Ah folle moi, two."

I gagged again. I felt dirty inside, like my blood was tainted.

"I think it's time to end the family reunion." Derek murmured to me.

I nodded vaguely and focused on the open feeling that accompanied releasing a soul.

"Attend-!" There was a pop like a vacuum seal and it was quiet in the basement.

I was shivering from disgust. Derek wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face in his chest, gripping his hips like a lifeline.

"I don't want to be a monster." I whispered, a tear snaking down my cheek.

* * *

**Also if I totally effed up the French let me know and I will fix it. My sweetheart says that my French is very barbaric like "You Jane, me Tarzan. Talk much with later?"**


	21. Chapter 21

**Kat- There as never any offense taken, I just wasn't sure how familiar you were with dominant and recessive genes and the effect our ancestry can have on us. How about a few one-shots instead of 58 chapters? :p I'll even take requests from the audience!**

**Silver Bird, Jamie Kay, Body and Soul, Black Heart, Mandy, Hee, AHAH, Kenhat, Ghost, Jessi, Spencer Reid, Emmoria, Mr., Burning Bright, Emily 2 and Laura- You spoil me! More chapters for you!  
**

**Emo Taco- You ARE lazy! :p**

**Vamp Lover- Necrophiliac. "Sexual attraction to corpses." Pleasant stuff.  
**

**Vamp Fan and Ayonne- Thank you for the French tips!**

**Sydney- I've read house of night and while I have a fascination and participate in tattoo culture her weakness for men makes me want to stab my eyes out.**

**Sharpest Satire- Well I couldn't not give a personalized response after that! I'm so glad you finally were able to review you must have been exploding with review-y-ness (it splattered all over the page!) I'm thrilled you like it, there are only two male characters in books that I would readily leave my sweetheart for and those are Derek and Fang (Maximum Ride). I don't know if you're a Max fan but I heard that they were going to cast Kristin Stewart and Rob Pattinson as Max and Fang and if that happens I will publicly kill myself just so that my fans will riot and take out Hollywood. Sorry, I just read that and I had to rant somewhere!**

**Super long chapter because tomorrow is a big move day and I don't know if I'll be able to update.  
**

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Chapter 21

After that informatively useless encounter we found a storage room with a pile of gym mats and I pulled one across the hall into the empty racquetball court. I was too jittery to take a nap but I knew that I needed one before our auto theft excursion so I decided to wear myself out.

Derek settled against a wall, leaning his head back.

"You're not going to take advantage of an empty gym?" I asked surprised.

He cracked open one eye. "I got plenty of exercise last night. I'm just going to recuperate."

I couldn't resist, he really set himself up. "Wow, I didn't know that making out was such hard work."

He snorted and closed his eye again, ignoring me.

I stretched. Stretching feels absurdly good when you haven't done it in a while. Like when you wake up and stretch your legs out as far as you can go except better because I was doing it with my whole body. I started by touching my toes, well really putting my hands flat on the ground. Yes I know, I'm a shorter version of Gumby.

Once I was a little more limbered up I slid into a split and turned when I felt Derek's eyes on me. He looked like he was in pain.

"That looks so uncomfortable." He said, wincing as I lay flat forward on the ground. "Bodies are definitely not supposed to do that."

I gave him the most incredulous look I could muster. "Do you _really_ want to argue about what bodies are and aren't supposed to do wolf-boy?"

I stretched forward and swung my leg around. The one Rambo-esque move that I could actually do was the super sweet flipping up to your feet from your back thing, kipping up I think. I guess it's more Jackie Chan than Rambo. In gymnastics you fall down a lot and one day on the trampoline me and a few of the other girls on my team decided to figure out how to do that. If you have a couple of years of gymnastics experience and a few (albeit dusty) trophies on your shelf it really was not as hard as it looked. Compared to a handspring it was a piece of cake.

I put my palms flat on the ground above my shoulders, rocked my knees to my chest and shot them forward while pushing off my hands. Derek raised an eyebrow which I took to be his version of a standing ovation and I bowed.

"Thank you. Thank you, I'll be here all week."

I got half a smile at that. "You are as ridiculous as Simon."

"Oh we're allowed to say the S-word now?" I grinned at him.

He grimaced. "As long as there's no kissing."

"Why not? It's not like I have a boyfriend or anything." I stuck my tongue out at him and went into a handstand.

Suddenly I was no longer on the ground. I was in the air and squeaked accordingly. "Hey!"

"Take it back." He rumbled, flipping me upright and holding me at arm's length like a bad puppy.

I rolled my eyes but I think the effect was somewhat lost since I was dizzy. "We're on temporary hiatus remember logic boy?"

"Hmph. Yeah. I remember." He set me back on my feet and walked out of the court.

I squelched the urge to run after him, feeling tired finally, and lay down on the mat. It actually made me smile a little bit that Derek was huffy because he was jealous of the _idea_ of me kissing someone else. The possessive thing would be super annoying if it were anyone else but it was just so… Derek.

After a few minutes I felt him come back and check on me, then settle just outside the door to keep watch. I knew he was right outside because when I turned around I couldn't see him but felt he was close. This little Derek radar might come in handy.

I thought about how weird it was now to not be sleeping next to Derek, and remembered once again about the werewolf cuddling thing. It took me another millisecond to decide whether or not to invite him in, heck we'd already introduced ourselves as mates to my great grandmother, why not cuddle?

"Come in here." I said quietly, knowing he would hear me.

It was about thirty seconds before the light over the court was turned off and Derek lay down next to me, putting his arm out so I could use it as a pillow. I snuggled into the curve of his body for the companionship as much if not more than the heat and fell asleep listening to his steady breathing.

* * *

"Hey." I was pulled up through the foggy clouds of sleep by a wonderfully familiar voice.

"Fuck off Simon… I'm tired…" I mumbled sleepily, turning over and curling up again. Derek's chuckle brought me fully conscious and I yawned. "Time to get up?"

"Yeah. Care to explain your genius plan before we go steal a car from a police station?"

I stood up creakily and stretched. "Not really."

I managed to keep Derek's questions mostly under control until we got to the very tall very barbed wiry fence.

"Any dogs?" I whispered.

"No, that's in junkyards." He muttered back.

I glared at him. "You could be a little more excited about this."

"Chloe our lives have had enough excitement in them for a lifetime. After this I'll be ready to retire."

I walked around the fence until I found what I was looking for, the ever-convenient tree. The branches were higher than I could reach without jumping and I glanced back at Derek, hopeful for a boost and saw him looking like he was just waiting for the chance to tell me 'no.'

_Fine then. Jerk._ I took a few steps back, then ran at the tree, stepping up on one slightly raised root and catching the bottom branch. I took a moment to be proud of myself that I didn't trip and end up face-planting in the trunk before monkeying myself up. There was a small ominous crack and I quickly climbed onto a sturdier branch. As I was turning to tell Derek the branch wouldn't hold his weight and trying to figure out my next move, he jumped, caught a heavier branch and swung himself over the fence, landing lightly.

I glared at him as he looked up at me with a smug… look. Well fine then. I stood, grabbing the branch above me and walked out until I was standing above the fence. Derek crossed his arms and looked bored. I jumped off. Derek looked less bored.

Naturally he caught me easily but I definitely got a concentrated massive dose of Derek-scowl.

"Let's be clear. You are NOT a secret agent, or a green beret. You WILL run if there's any danger and let me take care of it. Understood?" As he put me on the ground I let out a small girly whimper and he immediately picked me up again. "What's wrong?" He asked sharply.

I kept the high-pitched edge to my voice. "Oh gosh, I just am too delicate to stand up on my own. The ground is so hard and dangerous, what if I fall down?" I gasped. "What if I trip?" I mock fainted.

Derek dropped me. I managed to land mostly on my feet but I was so awkwardly angled that I fell on my butt anyway. "Ow." He just glared at me as I stood and brushed myself off, taking my time and adjusting my clothes.

A low growl interrupted my being-a-butthead process and for a second I thought Derek had been wrong about there being no dogs. Then remembered what Derek was.

"Quit your yapping." I turned on my heel and looked around. There were about a dozen cars, most of them minivans and trucks. Perfect. I found an older model Kia Sedona that looked like it would run fine and waved Derek over. As I walked around it he read the impound notations, I smiled when I saw an "O'Henry honor student" bumper sticker.

"They confiscated it four months ago for drug running." Derek informed me as I came back around to the front.

"Huh. Well I guess even soccer moms need a hobby." I carefully walked up to the small two-room building that served as an office.

There were cameras on the corners of the buildings but when I checked all the doors and windows I didn't see any signs of an alarm system. Small towns, gotta love 'em. Everything was locked and I was about to curse my luck when I saw a tiny window set high on the wall. I carried over an empty wooden crate and climbed up on it to look inside. It was the bathroom window that was cracked open, it was so small that I thought for a moment that even I wouldn't be able to fit through.

"Oh no you don't. You are not going in there alone." Derek's low-pitched voice came from somewhere in the darkness behind me.

I gave an incredulous look to where I thought he might have been. "Well it's that, or I wait out here unguarded while you find a shrink ray and squeeze through."

I didn't have to hear him or feel his energy to know he was scowling at me again.

I slipped off my coat and scarf and put them on the ground, checking for any other loose clothing then hoisting myself up, looking for a foothold. I found one in the form of a hand as Derek took the if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them mentality and boosted me. It was still a really tight fit, I had to put one arm in first, then my head, turn sideways to get my shoulders through and wiggle when it got to my hips. No problem. Except for the whole, falling face first on the other side thing.

"Ow." I said for the second time in so many minutes.

I pictured Derek rolling his eyes as I disentangled my limbs, got the standard blush under control and eased open the bathroom door. The first thing I looked for was where the cameras were connected. Luckily they were just for show as the cases that should have been recording the video cassettes were empty. I looked incredulously at the video cassette devices. Small wonder they were empty, I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen a blank VHS for sale.

Next I found the paperwork, flipping through everything recent until I found the file on the Kia. It apparently ran fine, they had just impounded it when they found five kilograms of cocaine in the back. The owner had gotten a six month sentence at the county prison for intent to distribute—which was kinda obvious, five kilos is way past recreational—and so they van would stay here until he got out. It could not be more perfect.

I found the keys hanging in a cabinet and took them and the file with me, leaving everything else like I'd found it.

"Derek?" I stood on the back of the toilet and peeked over the window sill.

"Still here." He grumbled and I passed him the keys and paperwork, letting him pull me through the window this time.

We walked in relative quiet until we got to the car and a thought occurred to me _How are we going to get it out?_ I glanced at Derek as he unlocked the car and he looked at me.

"It's a combination padlock, I think I can listen to it."

"Like in _The Italian Job?_" I asked excitedly and he gave me one of his disparaging long-suffering looks.

We got in and I sat in shamed silence while Derek turned off the headlights and started the car. But you know what? It was totally like _The Italian Job_! He kneeled and listened to the locks turning, separating the difference between a normal click and an unlocky click. My not-boyfriend is the shit.

In no time we were driving down the highway, the gate locked behind us and me in a total bemused state over the fact that we hadn't run into any complications while stealing a car from a police impound lot.

A small gray cat with squashed back half dragged itself into my lap and I screamed.

Well, almost no complications.

* * *

At five in the morning I made Derek pull over at a truck stop and switch our license plates with a car parked there, the last thing I wanted was for us to do something menial like run a red light and have our plates come back as belonging to a cocaine dealer. Maybe paranoid but so far being paranoid had worked for me. Once again my knife came in handy as we had no screwdriver. We pulled into the Rochester airport at 8:20am on the nose, right after I got a text from Jaime saying that they had gotten their luggage. I texted her back, telling her what kind and color of car we were driving and she replied that she would jump up and down when she saw us. So when I saw a gorgeous redhead jumping up and down my first thought was _Lola!_ Followed by insta-hatred. But this woman had way too genuine of a smile to be Lola and she was with a really well dressed dark-haired man that was too gentlemanly to be in Lola's league.

It took me a second but the nagging feeling of familiarity resolved when I saw her, the name had been a flag but so subtle I barely registered it. Now, looking at her, I recognized her as one of the more popular TV psychics.

We pulled to the curb and Derek got out and opened my door for me—which was not as charming as you'd think since I was literally incapable of opening the door due to the stupid friggin' child lock that he refused to take off because he thought it was funny. Then as he turned around the wind changed, and he froze, and when he got a good look at the man he took a stumbled step back. And let's be clear, Derek never stumbles.

"Derek?" I asked softly, taking in his slightly widened eyes.

"A little warning would have been nice." He said under his breath, never taking his eyes off the other man.

"Hi Chloe!" Jaime flounced over and with no hesitation hugged me. "Boy you guys look almost as tired as we are!" She looked behind her and her eyes had a look that I suspected mirrored how mine looked when I saw Derek. "This is Jeremy Danvers!"

The name sounded a little familiar and I thought for a second. Let's see, Derek is petrified of his smell, his name is Jeremy and he's hanging out with another supernatural. "Elena's Jeremy?" I asked tactfully.

Jeremy flashed one of those predatory werewolf smiles but it was more refined than Clay or Derek's and somehow even more intimidating. I pushed my nervousness down and held out my hand. "Very nice to meet you Mr. Danvers."

He shook it but let go quickly like he knew Derek was already on edge and other weres touching me amped that up. "The pleasure is all mine Miss Saunders." He turned to Derek and I saw them side by side for the first time.

"Holy crap you two look a lot alike!" Jaime exclaimed, looking back and forth between them and echoing my thoughts.

Jeremy looked thoughtful for a moment, then surprised. "Jaime could you drive please, I think that Mr. Souza and I have quite a bit to discuss."

"As long as you steroid-ridden boys can put the luggage in the car that's fine with me!" Jaime took the keys from Derek, who hadn't broken eye contact yet with Jeremy and went to the front seat.

"Derek? … Honey?" I tried the endearment out and despite blushing liked it. "I know that you know this but… uh… alpha wolves and eye contact… kinda not good." I tugged on his sleeve.

He looked down at me and the intensity of his gaze made me take a step back. Instantly he winced and shook his head. I stepped up on tip-toes and nuzzled his neck reassuringly. It was all I could reach after all… I really needed to invest in heels.

"Can you get the bags?" I turned to gesture at their bags but couldn't find them over the mountain of luggage that was in the way. "Uhh… do you need help?"

"I think we can handle it." Jeremy murmured with a quick smile in Jaime's direction. Since the vast majority of the bags were pink I could take a wild guess at who they belonged to. The one slim black overnight bag looked lonely and Jeremy put it in the car first.

"Oh just ignore Fluffy, he came with the van." I told Jaime as she climbed into the driver's seat and the dead cat's ghost meowed, making her jump.

She looked at him for a moment. "_He?_" She asked, waving to the completely smashed lower body of the cat, complete with tire print. "How can you possibly tell?"

"… Just a guess." I said as Fluffy tried to mount Jaime's leg.

"Ah."

I buckled into the front seat, I figured that if the guys wanted to talk it would be easier for them to be in the same row. When everyone was settled and we pulled away from the airport Jeremy requested that we stop for breakfast which everyone readily agreed to. We went to a small Jewish deli and ordered huge breakfasts except for Jaime.

She made a face at the two boys after ordering her bagel and fruit bowl. "If only I had your metabolism."

"You don't need it." Jeremy assured her.

"So…" Jaime started in the thick silence that followed. "You're a necro."

"_Mancer_." I added quickly.

She raised an eyebrow in a well-duh expression and I glanced at Derek quickly. "We learned some… unpleasant things about my Uncle Ben yesterday…"

She looked thoughtful, then her eyes widened. "Not Benjamin Fellows?"

I kept my eyes on the table, feeling once again like I had dirty blood and played idly with my fork. "Yeah."

"My goodness." She rocked back in her chair. "Well I will be sure to specify the 'mancer' in the future… So you're from the Laveau line."

"We learned that yesterday." I smiled at Derek who kept his eyes fixed on me rather than Jeremy. "She's very… promiscuous."

Jaime's eyes bulged. "You _summoned_ Marie Laveau?"

"Well yeah."

"You. Summoned a powerful necromancer's spirit. Without any of her remains."

"Y-yes." I was nervous now. "Is that bad?"

She stared at me. "Do you have any idea… That takes… Just an ungodly amount of power."

I winced. Great. Back to being a genetically effed-with freak.

"Chloe and I were both part of the genesis 2 project." Derek said shortly.

Jaime looked blank but Jeremy was unsurprised. "Yes Elena filled me in about that. The project was the catalyst for the _group field trip_ tomorrow." He explained for Jaime's sake.

"Ah. So Chloe. Any other bouts of insanely large displays of power?" Jaime asked delicately.

I still blushed. This was not how I thought my first conversation with a real _live_ necromancer would go.

"She used to raise in her sleep." Derek said easily, eyes fixed on Jaime. "She's mostly got that under control now."

I kicked him under the table, I suspected that he was using Jaime as a gauge for how other necromancers would act around me. Which was kinda sweet but also really not helping the being-normal thing.

"Oh good." Jaime said faintly, looking pale, then fixed her gaze on Derek. "And what did they do to you? Feed you miracle-grow?"

I cracked up, the tension about my crazy powers and the fact that I had thought the exact same thing less than 24 hours before made me feel a little giddy. As I got my giggles under control the food arrived and in true werewolf fashion, the men focused all of their attention on that.

When they were done—in half the time it took us to eat—they talked idly about Bear Valley and the twins Katie and Logan and then Jeremy paid for everyone before I could even get a proper protest out. Almost as soon we were back in the car Jeremy turned to Derek, looking him over critically.

"You have your mother's eyes you know."

I whipped around in time to catch the second most shocked expression I'd ever seen on Derek (The first being when he kissed me and I liked it). Jeremy seemed unsurprised that he had managed to completely floor Derek.

"Did you ever meet her?" Derek asked when he got his jaw working.

"Well yes. Obviously I got her pregnant."

Jaime almost swerved off the road.


	22. Chapter 22

**I would just like to say that I am literally sitting in a parking lot stealing internet so I can feed your addiction! I have had no internet for the past few days and have been going crazy trying to update.**

**The next few chapters may be a little rough since I'm rushing them, but I will get them up and that's the important thing! Also M. Ride fans will be pleased to note that my next fanfic will be on Maximum Ride. I read like the first two chapters of Fang and looked up the summary on wikipedia and was like nope. Not reading that, writing my own instead.**

**I guess I jumped the gun a little and assumed that everyone would be familiar with Kelley Armstrong's wolves outside of Darkest Powers. Jeremy is the pack alpha, Elena is his spokesperson and kind of diplomat (though they don't tend to be overly diplomatic), Clay is Jeremy's bodyguard and adopted/foster son. Jeremy is Jaime's romantic interest, I'm not sure how far they've gotten if anywhere because I'm just starting No Humans Involved which is Jaime's book. Jeremy would probably be more diplomatic but keep in mind that they keep tabs on all werewolves in the country so they know about Derek as we saw earlier. I think that Jeremy views him as an equal—person wise not wolf wise—and wanted to be upfront and honest before they had to watch each other's backs in a fight. Clay also has a PhD in Anthropology which makes everyone in the supernatural community go "say _what_??" because they view him as a sociopath. Jeremy, Elena, Clay and Clay and Elena's twins Katherine and Logan all share the last name Danvers, I think that covers everything, let me know if I left anything out!**

**No personalized AN's this time I'm going to write everyone a love letter in the epilogue but until then make due with chapters!**

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Chapter 22

Officially Derek looked more shocked then with the whole romantic-revelation thing.

"Sorry. Fluffy jumped on me." Jaime said breathlessly. She made a flicking motion and Fluffy—who had been curled up (which was more curled than a cat with an intact spine could get) on the dashboard—flickered and vanished. I think she was flustered enough to forget that they couldn't see him.

"Ah… so you got my mother pregnant?" Derek asked slowly, making sure he heard right.

"Yes." Jeremy shot Jaime a glance, wary of her killing us via minivan.

"So that would make you…"

"Your father." Jeremy stayed completely calm, like he was discussing a business proposition but I could have sworn that there was a little bit more reflection in his eyes than before.

"Are you sure?" I asked him, touching Derek's knee lightly behind my chair.

"Your mother," he nodded at Derek, "Lilija Souza, was a tenured professor of biochemistry and genetic research at The University of Iceland Institute of Biology…" (_What a mouthful._ I thought) "-I met her at a conference on abnormal genetic disorders and was instantly attracted to her."

I caught Derek's look and thought about the second level of mates, the automatic claim type. Jeremy caught the look and after checking to make sure Jaime was watching the road nodded shortly.

"I'll never forget her eyes because that's what inspired her to become a geneticist, she had very high pheomelanin in her eyes, giving them an abnormally bright green hue."

I really didn't want to interrupt but curiosity got the better of me. "I'm sorry, pheomawhat?"

"The fiber clusters in your iris." Derek murmured, putting his hand over mine on his knee.

"Okay. Thanks, please continue.""

Jeremy flashed a smile at Derek for his explanation. Nothing like finding your long-lost son and then finding out he's a super genius. "We dated for six months before I found out that she was an immortality seeker. She lied about taking birth control pills when we were together and when she got pregnant she drugged me and withdrew samples of my saliva."

My hand flew to my mouth in horror. Jeremy's next statement confirmed what I'd been afraid of, but worse.

"Her first two trimesters went fine as I found out from a friend who worked with her at the Edison research lab, but after that she started giving herself small injections of the virus. The rest is patched together from bits and pieces of information but I heard that she went insane and killed you at birth, after which they 'put her down humanely'." Jeremy said with a humorless laugh. He met Derek's eyes directly without challenge. "Clearly I was misinformed… and I didn't pursue the subject further because if she had gone insane and started killing I would have had to take her down myself."

Derek, being absurdly good at compartmentalizing, nodded. Since he wasn't angry I didn't feel that I could justify being angry and smooshed down the hot pit of fury in my stomach at Jeremy for not… being psychic and finding Derek… yeah.

"If you want some kind of… compensation and never see me again I would understand." Jeremy offered in the same calm tone he'd used through the whole story.

There were obviously small fluctuations in his tone that I couldn't catch because Derek slowly searched Jeremy's face and shook his head. "I don't want anything material."

Jeremy nodded. "Good."

"I also think it would be counterproductive to cut off contact."

Jeremy smiled slightly. "Better."

I wasn't completely sure but it seemed like they had just had a loving father-son moment. In werewolf fashion of course, I could see where Derek got his emotion-masking from. I squeezed Derek's knee before turning around and facing forward. My body was displeased with the lack of contact but before I could even muster up a good mope Derek brushed my arm and I smiled. Crap I really had it bad.

I used the lapse in conversation to check my bandage, the scratches were not as bad as I had thought originally, now that the blood had dried the worst looking part was the bruising so I just took the gauze off and pulled my beanie over them.

"Not much further." Jaime said, pulling into a long driveway. "They rented out a recreational center that's barely a mile from what we believe is the Edison Group's main compound. Normally it'd be miles of road just to get close but if you cut straight through the woods it's an easy walk."

"Thank you Jaime." Jeremy leaned forward and touched her shoulder when he said it and I thought she was going to almost wreck the van again.

When we pulled up to the long single story log cabin I saw Clay, Elena, Simon, Tori and Andrew standing outside in the cold. I glanced back at Derek and he showed me the smart phone with a small smile. Texting strikes again.

Simon opened my door and swooped me into a hug, spinning me around. "I'm so glad Derek didn't eat you Love!" He started lowering his mouth to mine and before I could tell him 'no' I was being lifted backwards, out of Simon's arms.

Derek set me on the ground. "She's recovering."

Simon arched an eyebrow at me. "Recovering?"

I took off my hat, showing the scratches. "Run in with a bad werewolf from down under."

Andrew had approached more slowly and just saw the scratches without the explanation. He gave Derek a disgusted look. "Your handiwork?"

I felt the biggest surge of lycanthropically-charged protective instincts yet and remembered Simon's lessons. Keep your thumb outside, your wrist straight, lead with your first two knuckles and put your whole body into it. Andrew never saw it coming. That's right, the tiny blond-now-redhead knocked a full grown man on his ass.

He looked stunned for a minute as a thin trickle of blood came out of his nose. Elena clapped and Jeremy stepped forward.

"These two are under Pack protection. _Anyone_ who tries to harm them will answer to me." He looked down at Andrew with a small pleasant smile on his face. "Are we clear?"

Tori looked impressed. "Well that's an improvement from meek boring girl."

"Thank you?" I said hesitantly, it was the closest to a compliment I'd gotten from her.

"It's not Andrew who concerns me." Derek said quietly as me, him and Simon walked towards the house. "It's whoever he was talking to."

I hadn't thought about that. Great, now I was worried too, was there going to be someone who wanted to kill us at this meeting?

"Any other news that Derek didn't tell me? Because all I've gotten from him are 'we're alive'." Simon asked.

"Well… We went to The Pack to warn them about the Edison Group, Derek shifted completely, The Edison Group trespassed on Pack land disguised as hunters and shot Derek, the rest infiltrated later and we escaped only for me to be kidnapped by three rogue weres and a shape shifting bimbo… let's see, we got shot at again because we stole a car from the kidnappers which turned out to be lo-jacked and then we dumped it and stole this charming ride from a police impound lot. Did I miss anything?" I asked Derek. I'd intentionally left out personal facts, Jeremy being Derek's dad, me almost dying and being Derek's mate… Though it might make things a little less complicated if Simon could keep off long enough for me and Derek to figure our stuff out.

"No." Derek's eyes were guarded when he looked at me but softened when I gave him a gentle smile.

Regardless of his decision to leave the mate thing alone for the time being I knew that he _really_ wouldn't be able to focus if he thought that I went after Simon at the first opportunity.

Simon was silent for a moment. "Wow. Okay. See Derek? This is what is called an _update_. It's when someone tells you that some SERIOUS SHIT has gone down." He glared at his foster brother. "Next time I'm coming too. Or Chloe is in charge of communication."

"Good to see you're alive girl." Elena patted me on the head. "I wasn't sure if using that much power would have killed you."

"Almost did." Derek growled.

Simon looked between us all, then rounded on me. "What did you leave out??"

"Eh heh. I may have raised a forest to protect The Pack when they were attacked." I smiled embarrassedly.

Simon threw up his hands with an exasperated cry. "Agh! I can't trust either of you!"

We pushed open the doors to the rec center and the gathering of people there looked up.

"We got here about a minute before you did." Simon said. "So we haven't met anybody yet."

A young woman with a gentle face hurried over and to my complete surprise, hugged Elena who I really didn't think of as a hugger. "Hi! You guys must be Derek, Simon, Tori and Chloe." She smiled at us kindly. "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."

I nodded tiredly at that. A normal supernatural life sounded pretty darn good right about now.

Another woman joined Paige and smiled at Derek, she had several long scars down her face and hands. "I don't know if you remember me…"

"The nurse." He looked shocked. "I thought you died."

"Nearly. It was because of you that I lived."

I filed this conversation away for later questioning.

The nurse, Sarah McBride as her nametag conveniently labeled her, turned to Tori and Simon. "Wow you must be Kit's kids."

Simon grimaced at the idea. "Sorry lady but I don't have any blood siblings."

"My dad doesn't even know about any of this." Tori rolled her eyes.

"But… you're Victoria Enright."

"Yeah? So?"

"So… You're Kit's biological daughter." Sarah looked between them. "… And I'm guessing he never told you."

I grimaced. "Oh this is going to be awkward."

Tori looked at me now. "Pssh, why would it be awkward?"

I debated for a second, shifting back and forth between my conscious and my conscious. On one hand it was the right thing to tell her the truth, on the other it was the right thing for me to not be the one to tell her. On the other other hand if her mom had ever intended on telling her than she would have by now.

"I… I didn't know it was your dad." I said to Simon. "But I read in our files that your dad was a sorcerer." I lied, no reason to make the situation more complicated by telling her I'd learned it from the ghost of a demi-demon.

Simon and Tori stared at each other. Then Tori gagged and Simon actually ran to a nearby trashcan and tossed his cookies. While they were busy being totally disgusted I took a second to look at Tori. I'd never thought about it before but her eyes had a subtle tip to them if you were looking for it and that black hair…

"Why??" I heard Simon moan faintly from the trashcan. "Of all the people on god's green earth, why _her_?"

"The feeling is totally mutual." Tori grumbled back.

I left them to their disgustedness and went with Derek to where the biggest group of people were talking around a whiteboard with Jeremy mediating.

"The first wave will only be those of us with regenerative powers." He was saying. "Weres and Vampires. Does anyone under that category know the layout of the compound?"

"I do." Derek said, making everyone turn to him. "I spent part of my life there."

Jeremy nodded. "Would you feel comfortable leading a part of the first group?"

Derek nodded.

"Uh hey, I'm not comfortable with that!" I snapped at him. "If you're going so am I. I spent time there more recently than you."

"Out of the question." Derek growled. "You are staying safe until the building is clear."

"Damnit Derek you're not my father!"

"We'll be right back." Derek told Jeremy, then dragged me into an adjoining room. Once we were alone he turned on me. "Chloe you can't argue with me right now. Just do what I say okay?"

"Hmm… let me think about it, no. No times ten. I am NOT going to sit around waiting to be told that you're dead."

Derek gripped my shoulders, looming over me menacingly. "For once in your life would you-"

"Derek I'm a hell of a lot more of a monster than you are and monsters are what we need right now!"

"You're not a monster. We talked about this, between the two of us…" He sighed, looking away. "If you want to argue about who's more of a monster, ask Ramon."

I touched his wrists lightly, making him look back at me. "You may have killed him, and I'm really sorry you had to do it for my sake, but you didn't put his soul back into his body _after_ you killed him. At least your so called monstrous acts are within a normal range. Mine are on a whole other level." I glared at him determinedly. "Which unfortunately in this particular situation is beneficial."

He pulled me forward and rested his cheek on the top of my head. "… I didn't know you knew about that."

"Liam mentioned it… You know it was self-defense right?"

"Yeah. And when I broke that kid's back that was just defending Simon." His voice was pained and he held me a little tighter.

"That was an accident and you know it. Besides, this has nothing to do with that. This has to do with me watching your back… Which I am going to do."

"Chloe." He sighed exasperatedly. "Let me at least go in first and as soon as we make sure no one has weapons I'll come get you."

"… Fine." I agreed with absolutely no intention of doing so.

Derek let me go and stepped back seconds before Simon pushed open the door. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"I'm being left behind." I glowered at Derek.

Simon stepped up beside his brother. "Well I'm backing Derek up on this a hundred percent. There's no reason for you to put yourself in danger."

"Yeah yeah." I looked at the floor. "It's cool. I'll just hang out here waiting to find out that you all died."

A hand cupped my cheek that was not rough enough for my liking and I felt Derek's hackles rise.

"We're big boys." Simon smiled down at me. "Don't you worry your pretty little head Love."

"Come on. We should get back." Derek said shortly and I nodded. He subtly waited for me to go out first and I took the opportunity to gracefully escape the awkward situation.

_Cock-blocked!_ Bad Chloe pointed and laughed at Simon.

I smirked at the ground.

-----------------

I sat next to Derek on an uncomfortable vinyl couch, Simon sitting on the arm on my other side. The Interracial Counsel had brought bulletproof vests from an anonymous supplier and black pants and shirts for the people who didn't have any. The color wouldn't make a damn bit of difference once they were inside the compound but sneaking up to the front door would be somewhat subtle.

Every now and then when they would stress how ruthless and prepared the Edison Group tended to be I would clench my right fist which was pressed in between my thigh and Derek's and he would move his hand just slightly like he wanted to take it but wouldn't let himself. Then he would slowly clench his own fist and jaw. It was very frustrating.

Finally the time came for the first group to get ready. Simon had weaseled his way in because the locator spell his dad taught him only worked when he did it. Lucky bastard. Jaime and me were back at the van moping in solidarity and rigging up some sound equipment inside so we could drive up separately and listen in. A woman as petite as me was helping us, her name was Zoe and apparently vampires exist too. Oh joy.

Actually she was really nice and I was almost enjoying myself since Jaime knew a lot about recording equipment as she did the set up and her own makeup at her earlier shows. I was finally with someone who knew what the heck I was talking about when I said "gaffer" or "best boy."

"Chloe?" Zoe poked her head around the corner. "Can you help me with some wiring?"

I jogged around the van to find the microphone audio input wires already plugged in. When I looked at Zoe questioningly she handed me a black leather overnight bag as Derek and Jeremy came out to the van.

"This is mine. I figure we're about the same size, Jaime knows, see you soon!" She waved cheerfully and ran to meet the guys, then went inside.

I ignored Derek. If he wanted to die on me there was nothing I could do about it. The insensitive prick, making me fall in love with him and then going on mission impossible. Jeremy took Jaime's hands when she handed him the small clip-on microphone and murmured a few things to her then kissed her cheek quickly. He glanced at Derek who was watching me—I may have ignored him but that didn't mean I didn't know he was watching, the boy has heat ray vision I swear—then went back in the cabin without him.

Derek gave me one last long look before following. Jaime made herself busy in the front seat while I stayed in the back, staring blankly at my hands.

I heard Simon at the door. "Ready to go?"

"I…" Derek answered hesitantly. "I forgot something in the van, go inside I'll meet you in a second."

I looked inside and spotted the backpack which had several of Derek's things including the manuscript. Tears welled up in my eyes, for a second I had kidded myself into thinking that he was coming back for me.

I wiped my eyes hastily and turned just in time to get swept up. Derek held me and I started crying again, clinging to his chest for what felt like the last time.

"Please don't go!" I whispered as he kissed away my tears. "I have a really bad feeling about this! Please just stay here with me."

He didn't say anything, just dipped his head to my collarbone and nipped hard enough to leave a mark, kissed me once and put me down gently. Tears blurred my vision as he pulled away gently and walked back to the big cabin.

"I love you." I whispered at his back.

He paused mid-step, whole body tensing like he had to fight every muscle before resolutely going inside. I buried my face in my hands.

---------

**McIntyre- yeah you totally called that. I actually have a friend who is a quarter Japanese and he looks like he could be part Spanish, Asian or Eastern European. The Tori thing was just funny to me because you _know_ that they made out at one point when Simon was desperate enough for a female fix. Kelley Armstrong can actually be surprisingly vague in her descriptions of her characters, they just have such strong personalities that you have a really clear image of what they should look like, I definitely didn't picture Tori with black hair until she mentioned it, and I think truly black hair is fairly unusual on someone without Asian ancestry. Genetically speaking when people say black hair in reference to white people it's actually dark brown.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Are they inside?" A quiet voice asked from around the van. I jumped and looked at Jaime, sure my eyes were puffy and red.

"Yeah." I whispered, then clear my throat. "Yes. Running to their deaths while we wait here like good little housewives."

Jaime grinned, it was so mischievous and pointy that I wondered for a second if she was a werewolf and just hadn't told me. "That's not entirely true…" She jerked her head and walked around the van.

Curious despite my consuming despair I hopped down and followed her. She was opening one of the many rhinoceros sized pink suitcases which was full of what looked like stage make-up and props.

"You've got Zoe's stuff right?"

I went back and grabbed the leather bag, hauling it around so we were once again on the side opposite of the cabin, hidden from view. To my surprise one of her small chic cameras was skillfully attached to the driver's side window and a small screen was set up next to us so we would see if anyone came out the door.

"Zoe said that there were a few other vampires who agreed to come last minute, when they get here you go in with them. I'm not as powerful of a necromancer as you but I can back you up. They know about everything and are prepared to pick up a petite vampire named Anne Armstrong in half an hour. Giving you another half hour to debrief on the invasion plans with the group being led by Clay."

My head reeled but a small ray of hope made me focus. _I'm going in with them. I can watch Derek's back._ "Tell me what to do."

Jaime's grin broadened. "The most important thing is your smell. I know how… sensitive to your scent Derek is so we're going to make you smell like a vampire which is going to be the trickiest part."

"Why? What do vampires smell like?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. That is tricky."

Jaime smiled that wicked smile again. "Ready for your first lesson in real showbiz makeup?"

I looked at her, feeling my eyes go hard and determined. "Fuck yes."

We ended up coating the exposed areas of my skin with something like liquid latex, leaving my face, neck and arms which were going to have enough makeup on them to mask my scent by themselves. Next was the outfit. Which was not something I would wear in a million years and was therefore perfect. This was where Zoe's stuff came in, she was the only person around close to my size. As I soon found out her tastes ran towards leather, silk or fishnets. We hadn't put the latex on me from under my knees down so I pulled on a pair of thin socks and then knee-high patent leather boots that had a well-disguised two inch platform heel. The latex coated me from knee to waaaay high on my thighs so I just slipped a shorter-than-I-would-ever-wear-again black spandex mini-skirt. A push-up miracle bra and scoop-neck silk tank top later and I was almost done. I looked ironically enough like Buffy the vampire slayer goes to a S&M club. It was risqué but the soft whispery shirt kept it from being slutty. And I still felt naked.

"Wow." Jaime looked me over. "Maybe I should pick up gymnastics."

I stuck my tongue out at her, apparently Elena had ordered a whole background check on me, a copy of which had been sent to Jaime.

She ruffled my hair and pulled an extremely thin piece of what looked like beige latex out of her magic kit and pulled a back off it like a sticker. I held still while she carefully pasted it above my eyebrow, covering my scratches and bruise. "Okay, now on for the _really _expensive part." She hooked up an air gun to a tiny motor. "I'm going to airbrush your skin lighter, the makeup won't smudge off but it will take a minute to dry so don't move." She went over my chest, shoulders, arms and face expertly with the "moonlit glow" foundation. It had an almost silvery tinge to it that matched the vampire's ethereal glow. Next came black contacts, smoky dark eye shadow, feathery false eyelashes that probably cost more than a year's tuition at Stanford and a touch of pale pink lip-gloss. I never wore makeup before except for one disastrous attempt for a dance where I had ended up scrubbing my face pink to get it all off and then wearing a an aloe lotion instead.

So imagine my surprise when I looked into the mirror and saw, not a clown-faced massacre, but an ageless dark woman with skin as eerie as moonlight. I was a hottie!

"Huh." I said.

Jaime shook her head, smiling. "Ready for the crowning touch?"

I nodded. She opened a hat box to reveal… blond hair. An ash blond wig with heavy bangs and a high-fashion bob cut. I touched it and it felt fine and real and I snapped my head up to Jaime. "Please tell me…"

"Locks of love." She smiled. "The donor is a thirty year old artist living in San Diego. After you use it I'm taking it to the cancer recovery ward for teenagers in LA."

I nodded, feeling better. Having a dead woman's personal affects was never a good idea for a necromancer with dodgy powers. A vampire's stuff was sketchy enough.

We slipped it in place and fixed it along my hairline with a gentle adhesive.

"Final test." She texted someone on her phone and we waited. "So… can you walk like a vamp?"

"vamp or vampire?" I grinned. "I just look at all this like a gymnastics tournament. I have to be very careful at being graceful and…" I twirled experimentally. "I was a performing arts student remember?"

Jaime laughed quietly as someone came around the corner. Elena.

_Busted._ I thought, freezing.

"Where's Chloe?" She asked, ignoring me other than to give me a completely alien and suspicious look.

"Perfect." Jaime's smile broadened.

Elena did a double-take, then tipped my head with her fingertips, sniffing carefully. "Very very faint. With a touch of the strawberry blossom perfume I brought you'll be perfect." She pulled a tiny expensive-looking lilac colored bottle from her pocket.

"Elena has the most sensitive nose of any werewolf we know." Jaime looked smug.

"Why…?" I didn't even know where to begin.

"Because if it were Clay I would be doing the exact same thing and since you're not a werewolf I'm making sure you're as prepared as we can make you." She gave me a hard look that rooted me to the spot. "Don't you dare die on me okay? Derek would go ape shit crazy and that would not be conducive."

"If he gets hurt then I can't promise I'll be able to sit idly." I clenched my jaw.

"I was expecting that. Good." She uncapped the bottle. "Close your eyes."

"Isn't strawberries kind of not a good idea to hose me with?" I asked, closing my eyes but forgetting that while perfume does sting your eyes it sure as heck doesn't taste too good either. "Ech! Blegh!" I spluttered while Elena spritzed me a few more times.

"On the contrary. If Derek smells any of your natural scent then he'll just think he's picking up the artificial strawberry perfume. Strawberry blossom is actually used in a lot of perfumes. There are a few women inside already who are wearing some… not this brand obviously. As a vampire you can afford better." She capped the bottle and I spat into the bushes. "Jaime I don't suppose you have a full length mirror in that wardrobe of yours?"

"Actually…" Jaime turned to rummage around her stuff while both Elena and I looked at her incredulously. She pulled out a roll of what looked like plastic but had a reflective side. When she shook it out I got to see myself in total.

I would never have recognized me in a million years. I managed to look like Zoe, a fragile balance of alluring and dangerous. I untied the ribbon my pendant hung on and wrapped then retied it around my upper forearm instead, clipping my knife to it. Last was the jacket, a double-breasted white fleece hip-length trench coat. It was my favorite clothing item by far. In fact it was the only thing that I may have worn outside of this situation.

Jaime smiled as if reading my mind. "It's a gift from me for being so ballsy."

My eyes got wide and I hugged her. "I-I can't accept it…" At her stern look I grinned. "But I guess I have to. Thank you! I love it."

"Here comes your party." Elena murmured as a sleek black car pulled up.

Several glamorous people stepped out; all dressed similarly to me, some more conservative and others way more scandalous. One of the women strode over, she was dressed promiscuously.

"Cassandra." Elena nodded shortly, really shortly.

"Elena. Are we even with this?"

"Yes."

Cassandra looked at me, her eyebrows shot up. "I thought she was a teenager."

"Sixteen." Jaime said. "I did my own makeup effects when I was breaking into the film business."

"Clearly. Very impressive." She walked around me slowly. "Liquid latex… how clever."

"Fooled my nose." Elena said, again shortly. I got the feeling she was not a fan of Cassandra.

"Fine. Come along, we're getting a briefing and moving out in under fifteen minutes. The woman you're filling in for is Anne Armstrong, she is from Georgia and has a very subtle southern accent. Can you imitate that?"

I thought back to when I auditioned for _Gone With The Wind_ at my school. I'd practiced that accent for weeks and still only gotten a bit part. But my performance had gotten me a bigger part when we put on _Peter Pan_ so it all worked out. "Easily."

"Well let's hear it." Jaime said.

I took a breath, centered myself, thought about Scarlett O'Hara when she was being manipulative and powerful, toned down my mental version of the accent and recited. "As God is my witness, I'm going to live through this, and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again - no, nor any of my folks. If I have to lie, steal, cheat, or kill." I met Elena's eyes when I said 'kill.' I know it seems silly but in that moment I felt like I could have done any of those things without hesitation if it would keep Derek safe.

She smiled darkly. "Very good."

Cassandra gave me a wicked smile as well. "Oh yes. If you weren't a necromancer I could just eat you up."

"Thank you?" I seemed to be cautiously accepting dodgy compliments right and left today.

"Oh! Don't forget this." Jaime gave me a small black ear bud that I put in and covered with my hair. "Testing."

I heard the small echo of her voice in my hear and grinned with a thumbs up.

"And this little number." She slipped a choker necklace on me with what looked like a cameo on the front. "I know it's a little bulky but we'll have the best video with a bigger lens." She flipped on a little screen and a grainy black-and-white picture popped up of… the screen. Since it was what I was looking at. "Perfect. We're out of mics so if all of my questions should be yes or no. Just make the hand gestures." She waved her hand up and down in a vaguely positive gesture and then slashed it side-to-side in a clearly negative gesture.

"Okay."

"Cassandra." One of the other vampires called. He had some kind of European accent and her name came out like 'Kah sahn drah,' all exotic like. "We need to get inside."

"Ready little girl?" She asked me.

I nodded. This was going to be easy, I just needed to convince my brain to switch to acting mode. No big.

As we all walked towards the cabin I saw our reflection in one of the big windows. It took me a second to find myself, a dark young woman who looked more serious than anyone else in the group. The hair cut even framed my face in such a way that it hid the shape of my jaw and the makeup made my cheekbones stand out like crazy. I looked… well, vampiric.

We pushed open the door and I took a last deep breath. Show time.

No one looked at us until we were halfway across the room. I saw Derek dressed head to toe in black, arms crossed and brow furrowed in thought as he looked at a map with Jeremy and Clay. My heart leapt into my throat.

The instant we moved under the overhead fan and my scent was blown towards him he whipped his head around, searching us all with furious eyes. Then he looked confused when he didn't see Chloe Saunders in the group. He looked again, stopping at me. This time he gave me a once-over for real, from my boot tips to my hair. It was a look of unmistakable male interest and borderline lust. Even as he looked horrified at himself and shook his head quickly as if to clear it I swallowed a blush. Scarlett O'Hara would NOT blush.

I stopped walking with the others, stepping just to the side so he could see me clearly. _Acting. Acting. You're an actress. You can do this._ I put a hand on my hip and met Derek's eyes head on, curving my lips just enough and lowering my eyelashes, taking him all in. I started like he had, at his bare feet and worked my way slowly up his black pants, pulled taught at his calves and again at his thighs. I skipped the crucial bits, sure that that WOULD make me blush, and took my time on his torso. By the time I got to his eyes he was blushing and seemed pretty thoroughly convinced I wasn't Chloe. I saw his jaw tighten as he glanced at the door when he thought no one was looking with a naked look of torn resolve and pain. It made my heart ache and I had to look away.

_You are an idiot if you think I would leave you during this Derek Souza._ I thought, keeping my flirty smile glued in place.

"Hi." To my annoyance Simon had sidled up next to me. "I'm Simon."

"Anne. Charmed." I spoke slowly and just a little lower than usually, drawing out the last word subtly. _Chahmed_ _my ass, go away Simon! You'll blow my cover!_ I glanced over to see Derek fighting his instincts like crazy, he looked like he wanted to pummel Simon but couldn't figure out why.

"All right now it's really a party." Clay drawled, looking us all over. Like Derek when he got to me he paused for a second, drawing in my scent but just shook his head. "Jer, you want to explain?"

Jeremy glanced up at us, then looked behind him at the map. "The basic plan is very simple. We're taking in two groups, Elena and Derek leading the one going in the front door and Clay will be leading the vampires."

"We don't need a leader." Cassandra stated.

"Like hell you don't. This is our operation, mutts are involved so The Pack rule applies as backed by the Interracial Counsel." Elena came out from behind the blackboard where she had slipped into the same outfit all the other werewolves were wearing. "I see you all have dressed for battle."

I didn't have to look to see how sarcastic she was being. We looked ready to go clubbing if anything.

"You follow us or you don't come. And you know you have reason to want to take a bite out of the Edison Group. They've been doing experiments on _all_ supernaturals." Elena stretched, she had a flush about her that suggested that she enjoyed fighting just a little bit more than writing treaties or being diplomatic.

"… Fine. We'll follow you."

"It's simple. Sarah is going to let your group in the back door while Elena's group scales the outer walls. It's one story but it is about the size of half a football field and we're not sure how many underground chambers they have."

"The basement is big." I said, catching myself just in time to put the touch of Southern on it and go an octave down. "The group thinks it's built on a natural fault line that makes it ideal for magical experimentation but it's actually powered by the… energy from a trapped demi-demon." I hesitated just for a moment, stopping from saying 'ghost.'

Everyone stared at me. Including Derek with shuttered unreadable eyes, they were just hostile enough to make my heart pang.

"How do you know?" Jeremy asked cautiously.

"I knew the demi-demon. Her name was Jacinda." I improvised as I went.

"That's what happened to Jacinda?" Paige asked, dumbfounded.

I nodded, not trusting my voice anymore.

"How do we cut off their power supply?" Elena asked, giving me a guarded look.

I shrugged, glad that I knew this one. "Get a necromancer I suppose. Or find another way to release her."

"Out of the question." Jeremy said at the same time Derek said. "NO."

I shrugged again. "Then destroy their converter and generator."

Clay grinned. "I can do that."


	24. Chapter 24

**Eli, Em, Jessi, Emily 2, Kenhat, Spencer Reid, Ahahah, Jamie Kay, Not Innocent, Mrs. Mariah and Moon Princess- Thank you all so much for your support. It's been amazing to be obsessively checking my phone for reviews and actually having new ones! You're amazing!**

**Mr., Burning Bright, Ayonne, Ghost and Hee- Yeah I really had a hard time seeing Derek be 100% tricked by Chloe's outfit, I felt like even if she didn't look like her, smell like her or act/sound like her, there would still be something nagging at the back of his mind. Like "hey dude, that hot chick over there in latex and leather is totally yours."**

**Sharpest Satire, Vamp Fan, Laura- I don't know what would happen if she really turned into a vampire. The world would probably implode.**

**Silver Bird- You have business that is more important than reading a fanfiction about a young adult novel?? Lies!**

**Rachel Dave- I actually think that Chloe does a fair amount of butt-kicking in the books, she's definitely outshone by Derek but she stabs Liam in the femoral artery! To save Derek! Which is hot.**

**Okay I think that's everyone! Just tell me if I forgot you and I will give you an extra special guest spot. With puppies. If the font is different then it's because I'm posting from a mac instead of PC. Should have everything except the epilogue done by tomorrow!**

* * *

Chapter 24

I kneeled next to Cassandra in the woods, facing the compound. Sarah had said that they turned off the alarms and electric fences while the day shift was leaving or else they would set them off about a hundred times. We had ten minutes left to get inside before the fence in front of us became electric. Cassandra waved one of her people forward, the European guy, and he ripped apart the chain link like it was heavy fabric. He peeled it back and held it, motioning us forward.

Thankfully the Edison Group had only been able to get permission to clear enough trees for their building and a sidewalk as we were in a mostly protected forest. So we had cover. I was the third one through the fence. We waited for the guards stationed at the perimeter to change stations with the night shift, taking both day and night guards out in one fell swoop.

I was almost disappointed at how easy it seemed. Clay crept up behind them, knocked them over the head and they were out while one of the vampires did the same with another. Luckily they were not feminists and didn't expect us poor defenseless ladies to help out.

Too soon we were at the door set at an angle at the side of the building, punching in the number that Sarah had given us. As Clay eased open the door I heard the first shots at the front gate and my blood ran cold. I had to force myself to keep moving inside and as soon as we were in I slipped back into one of the shadows while they went looking for the 'generator.'

I closed my eyes and it took about thirty seconds of concentrating before I heard a whispered "Hello little necromancer." In my ear.

"It's time to take down the Edison Group once and for all." I murmered.

"_Chloe what's going on? What are you doing?_" Jaime asked in my ear piece.

"How cliché." The demi-demon ghost drawled while I ignored Jaime.

"Do you want in or not?" I snapped.

A tinkling laugh. "Of course I do. Are you going to set me free?"

I steeled myself for the next part. I had been planning this when I thought I would still be involved in the original attack and refined once I was snuck in again. "I am going to share my body with you during the attack, once it's over I'll release you."

"_Chloe! Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't!_" Jaime yelled.

"You don't trust me?" She sounded wounded.

"Not even a little bit." I hesitated. "Are you… are you Jacinda?"

She was silent for so long I thought she'd disappeared on me. "Jacinda is the most recent addition to my collective unconscious so yes, I suppose for now I am."

"You're Rae's mom?"

"Poor deluded Raechelle. So gullible, so eager to believe, to trust." She sighed. "Well let's get this over with little necromancer."

I nodded. I read about this in my book. I'd kept my bracelets on when I changed and now I slipped my necklace back over my head and took off the wig, leaving my hair pulled back. I also peeled off the latex as it was hot and not breathable—and thus made my skin feel like it was suffocating—even though I felt a little underdressed with just boyshorts on under the miniskirt. _Well, at least I shaved my legs._

I closed my eyes and opened up the way I did when I released a spirit but this time I focused on feeling like a magical sponge, absorbing the power that when I focused I could feel all around me. An enormous amount of power that now I hesitated to use. But another shot and a howl from somewhere inside the building made my decision for me. I sucked in the demi-demon's spirit.

"_CHLOE-!_" Jaime's yell was cut off as the ear piece shorted out, I guess it didn't like super power surges, well there went my connection to the outside world, that was short-lived.

I didn't feel any different, just… light. When I opened my eyes I saw everything in sharp focus, even though it was pitch black now that the source powering the compound was inside me. A backup generator hummed to life and Clay rounded the corner.

"What the hell is… Chloe?" He stopped mid-step.

"Not entirely." I answered and my voice had an echoey quality like two people talking at precisely the same time in different tones. "I told you to bring a necromancer."

Clay took a step back.

I laughed, feeling like my blood had been replaced with burning liquid energy. I instinctively knew the compound like the back of my hand, and everyone in it, and where all the little hidden rooms were. Without so much as pausing I raced up the stairs, eager to join the fight.

Luckily for me the fight was everywhere. A group of guards rounded the corner and saw me, lowering their guns. The demi-demon was telekinetic to an immeasurable extreme. With barely a thought I made the floor buckle beneath them and they fell into the basement where a group of bored vampires were looking for a generator.

I skipped effortlessly over the gaping hole, rebinding an iron support beam to give myself a bridge. I rounded the corner and found another long hall and sighed. How annoying.

I closed my eyes and focused on the pull of magic that was my binding to Derek. I'd never been more aware of it. I was as aware of it as I was the deep green magic that seeped up into me from the earth, my necromantic magic. I was charging constantly, I just didn't know it. I could have spent all day looking at the pretty network of energy and magic that spidered through the building but I wanted to focus now. I took a moment to let Chloe do the thinking and pushed Jacinda into the background.

"Find Kit! Derek and Simon are looking for the prisoners!" I said it out loud, yelling at myself. I hadn't realized how much control I'd already given to Jacinda without meaning to as an eerie chuckle skated across my mind.

I focused again. This time harder and Jacinda pushed the knowledge of the cell system into my brain like a 3d map. Okay. Right, right, left, straight down the hall, down the stairs.

I took off running, thanking God that I had decided against every other pair of Zoe's shoes which had spiked heels. After my second right there was a big window that opened up onto a courtyard, on the other side of which was the entry hallway. I slowed and surveyed the scene quickly, looking for Derek.

"Hey!" Someone shouted behind me.

Instead of running like a good girl I turned and looked. Simon was running down the hallway.

"Anne! … Chloe?!" His eyes widened when he saw my wig gone.

Apparently without the wig my face shape was obvious. Not that it mattered since I had accomplished my goal of getting inside.

"Sort of." I answered in that weird two-toned voice and Simon skidded to a halt, staring. "Your dad is this way." I turned and as I was about to take off again I glanced back across the courtyard and met eyes with Derek, I think he'd turned when Simon had shouted my name.

He had been kneeling around the corner, on one side of the hall facing the courtyard with Elena on the other. As he narrowed his eyes his pupils dilated and I suspected that something very similar to an adrenaline rush was about to happen. I gave him one last look and ran down the hall.

I made it almost to the staircase down to the holding cells when Rae stepped in front of me. She was barefoot in jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt.

"Who the-? Chloe…?" She squinted at me. "Wow. You need to get some sun girl."

"Rae…" I said warningly, much more intimidating than usual thanks to my multi-octave voice. "Please tell me you're on our side."

She glanced at Simon, then back at me, eyes narrowing. "_Your_ side? You are the intruders! You're invading my home!"

"No honey." I wasn't controlling my voice now. "Raechelle, it's your mother, Chloe is channeling my spirit because Dr. Davidoff killed me. Listen, you can't trust-"

"My _mother??_" Rae shrieked. "How low can you get?!" Her hands started glowing.

"Raechelle… I don't want to hurt you sweetheart."

"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!!" She screamed and raised her hands.

Of their own accord my own arms raised and swept sideways, slamming Rae into the wall with a crunch and she slumped sideways, mouth hanging open. "But I will." Jacinda finished softly.

"Woah." I heard Simon say dimly.

The Chloe part of my brain was staring at Rae's unconscious body, screaming.

_I did that._

"Chloe! Come on snap out of it!" Simon was shaking me.

"Huh?" I slowly focused on the situation, then walked to Rae in what felt like slow-motion to feel her pulse.

Alive. Thank god.

"Let's go." I ran down the stairs, breaking apart security doors as I went. Finally we were facing a long hallway with matching steel doors all the way down it. I let Jacinda open all the doors.

"Dad!" Simon started shouting. "Dad! Where are you?!"

"Simon?" A man carefully looked into the hallway, saw us and ran to Simon, sweeping him in a bear hug. "Simon!"

I saw where Simon got his good looks. While his father was shorter and darker he had the same bone-structure as Simon and was handsome even being underweight.

"Where is Derek?" He asked, taking a step back. "And who are you?" He asked me now.

"Dad this is Chloe, Chloe this is my dad Kit. She's the one who's been opening all the doors and crap, but don't ask me how the hell she's doing it."

"Channeling the collected ghosts of demi-demons that are trapped at the compound." I supplied, still with the eerie voice. "Derek is with half The Pack, they're doing the heavy lifting."

Other heads were peeking out, squinting at us then timidly walking over when they saw Simon's dad.

"What's going on?" A young man with green-tinged skin asked.

"We're destroying the compound, care to join?" Simon grinned.

As we made our way back upstairs Simon's dad turned to me. "So… you're a vampire?"

Simon snorted a laugh. "Me and Derek said she couldn't come with us so she found a way to sneak in."

"Derek didn't recognize you?" He sounded surprised.

"I was wearing liquid latex and perfume."

"Ah."

"Yeah the latex was hot." Simon said dreamily. "But I'm glad you're still wearing most of the outfit, definitely going to draw that one."

I ignored him.

"She's a necromancer dad. Apparently she raised a whole forest on her way here and didn't think it was important enough to include in her summary of events."

Kit rounded on me, stopping us halfway up the staircase and making several people behind us yelp with concern. "You did _what?_"

"Oh for pete's sake." I groaned and kicked Simon in the ankle. "So not the time you jerk. It was after a heavy snowfall and I read that water amplifies magical properties just like electric waves so I used the snow as a conduit to amplify my power. Happy?" I pushed past the two of them. I'd been pretty proud of myself for that explanation, especially with the creepy voice.

"Derek likes her doesn't he?" I heard Kit ask Simon.

"He started to go through the phasing thing that you talked about and he lets Chloe watch his back."

I heard an "Oof!" and glanced back to see that Kit had stopped dead again and Simon had run into him.

"Come on guys! Focus on where we are! This can be later." I said exasperatedly.

"I can't leave you two alone for six months without the world turning upside down… How did you guys get passed the alarm system and security codes?" Kit asked, finally remembering we were in the middle of a siege.

"Sarah McBride, she gave us everything we needed." Simon frowned. "She said some weird stuff though."

"Like what?" We were heading back down the hall, checking each room as we went for prisoners or Edison Group employees.

"Like that you're Victoria Enright's biological father." Simon said calmly.

Kit balked. "Oh really. How interesting."

"Dad…"

"I was in law school and needed money!" Kit threw himself to the lions. "The Edison Group was paying an insane amount of money for semen from sorcerer's!"

"TMI!! OH GOD!!" Simon gagged. "I just want you to know that you spawned Satan."

"Next subject. Sarah and Derek also talked briefly about an 'incident', what was that?" I cut in, opening another door.

It was a cooled room with metal doors lining the walls. It took me a second to figure out what movie or show I'd seen something similar, I paused, door half open.

Kit was silent for a long time before Simon said. "It's okay dad, Chloe knows about everything."

"That's a very… personal memory for Derek." Kit responded slowly.

"Derek is… unusually open with Chloe. He actually sometimes talks to her."

"Really." Kit sounded disbelieving and I rolled my eyes.

I stepped into the room, I'd remembered where I'd seen it, a tv show—Crossing Jordan. It was where they kept the bodies. Just about the worst place for me to be.

_Jacinda, do you know about The Incident?_ I thought.

_Of course,_ she responded._ They had that sweet pack of puppies. The biggest one could have been Alpha but he wasn't territorial and even at that age knew that behaving differently than his human caretakers was unwise. _I looked around for any sign of Liz. _A young nurse was kind to them without knowing what they really were and the boys were clever enough to know that if they acted human she would pity them. She brought them treats, toys and candy and such. One night she snuck into their room without treats, the boys didn't like that. Ooh you wouldn't believe the blood, all over their little beds and the walls and floor and the poor green-eyed boy screaming at the door for help. _

I shuddered. And I'd thought my childhood was dysfunctional.

"Hey look! This box has Liz's name on it!" Simon called and I ran over.

To my absolute delight the small box on a metal rack of shelves had all of Liz's personal effects. I carefully picked up a giraffe-print toe sock and focused.

"Hey Chloe what's going on?" I opened my eyes to see Liz standing in front of me, eternally in her pajamas and wearing a ghostly version of the socks I held.

"Liz. We're storming the Edison Compound, can you check corners for me?" I asked. I'd wanted to summon Liz for this since the idea to break into the institute was first suggested. I guess I thought it would give her spirit some kind of closure.

"Holy crap! Yes! … Why are you dressed like a super goth skanky vampire slayer?"

"Is she… talking to a ghost?" Kit asked hesitantly in a oh-god-that-girl-is-crazy tone.

I glared at Liz. "I was forbidden to come so I had to sneak in. And it is not skanky. It's vampirey." I peeked out the door, where the rest of the group we'd rescued still huddled, uncertain of what to do next. "Come on people, let's move." I took off down the hall, not waiting for Simon and Kit.

I slowed at the end of each hall, following the sounds of fighting but also paying attention to Liz's warnings as she ran in front of me. When she spun and told me to stop I put on the breaks, skidding to a halt.

"What's up?" I panted, trying to catch my breath.

"Two men with guns, one facing us and the other away." She said. "I can distract them while you sneak up behind."

I nodded, then remembered that I had sorcerer's who had magical powers and stuff.

"Both of you, get a knock-back spell ready okay?" I whispered to Simon and Kit. "Two guards, Liz is going to distract them while we sneak up behind and-"

There was sounds of yelling, gunfire, and then silence. I nearly collided with Elena as she came around the corner.

"Great job Chloe! But I'd watch out, Derek's on a warpath." Her cheek was bleeding as well as one of her arms but her eyes sparkled with delight. "This is more fun then I've had since having the twins."

I glanced around desperately looking for an escape route as I was slammed by a white-hot wave of pure Derek energy. He was really really pissed. At the last minute I grabbed Kit and pulled him in front of me just as Derek rounded the corner, looking like some kind of action hero with his shirt just ripped enough to show the top part of his stomach and scratches and grazes all over him.

"Where. Is. She." He growled.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys, big AN in the epilogue, promise. Here it is, last two chapters, fresh from the press.**

---------------

Chapter 25

"Hey look! It's your dad! Who you haven't seen in six months!" I squeaked, or squeaked as much as one could with an ominous possessed voice. "How totally exciting is that."

"What's wrong with your voice?" Then he saw Kit and actually paused. "Hi dad."

Kit grinned and hugged Derek, which was a little awkward since Derek was half a foot taller than him but clearly they'd had practice. An expression of profound relief flickered across Derek's face as he hugged his father back. PDA + Derek = weird… but cute.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Kit said.

Derek nodded, saying _I'm glad you're okay too and I missed having the stability you provided in my life. It's been really hard on our own._ All with a half-smile. He may not talk much but he said a whole lot with his subtle expressions, but maybe that was just me. My own smile dropped like an anchor when Derek rounded on me.

"What. The. Fuck." If looks could kill I would have been pierced with a thousand daggers. At the same time he looked almost relieved when he glanced over me. "Who. The fuck. Gave you that." He scowled at my outfit.

"Zoe. And Elena helped." I glared back defiantly. "There was no way I was going to let you do this alone! Deal with it!"

Derek cursed under his breath and I saw Kit smiling behind him. He leaned over to Simon.

"He really does like her doesn't he?"

They grinned at each other now, identical mischievous smirks at Derek's little temper tantrum. The werewolf in question rounded on them and they both froze, smiles dropping guiltily. "Do. Not. Let her out of your sight." With that he went back around the corner and by the time I'd run after him he was gone again.

"God that guy just never shuts up." Simon said from behind me and I shot him a grin of my own, feeling much better now that I'd been close enough to Derek to touch.

"Go straight down until you hit the swinging doors, Victoria is in there with Zoe. We've almost got the building clear." Elena told us, patted me on the head on her way past and punched a guard that just started stirring, taking his gun.

"That's… quite a woman." Simon said, watching her.

"_Werewolf_ numbskull. With husband and kids." I rolled my eyes and followed the direction she'd gone.

"Just saying." He shrugged and smiled. "Don't be jealous."

"With your head that far up your ass you won't be able to keep an eye on me." I replied sweetly, I think Jacinda supplied that one, really.

We came into the courtyard area to see the Edison Group employees either tied up or unconscious or both. There was a group of our people staying just inside the front doors so anyone who was coming in for the night shift was captured immediately without much fuss.

"Looks like we missed all the fun." Simon said mournfully.

"Mrs. Enright and Dr. Davidoff are unaccounted for." Jeremy said, walking over to us. He gave me a stern look. "You should not be here."

I shrugged. "Is there a safe room somewhere where I can release this spirit?"

Jeremy was surprised by my voice, and by surprised I mean that I think I saw his eyebrows go up half a centimeter. "Right there, it's a staff lounge." He pointed to a nondescript nearby door.

"Thanks." I wanted to ask about Derek but having Jacinda pounding through my veins was making me dizzy and giving me a headache. "Excuse me guys, oh! It was really nice to meet you Mr. Bae." I'm not going to lie, I definitely checked the name plate outside his cell to make sure I got his name right.

"Kit please. Yes, I hope we get to talk more under less stressful circumstances. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities." He smiled at me and I definitely understood why all the ladies seemed to throw themselves at Simon's feet. Good genes. He also seemed to have grasped the situation with me and Derek immediately, I really wanted to be there when he talked to Simon about it.

_Now son. When a boy werewolf likes a girl very much they have this bond. When other men try to get into the girl's pants, the boy werewolf has a tendency to break every bone in their body._

Yeah. Definitely wanted to hear that.

I shut the door behind me so I could focus on what I was doing. A pile of folded clean scrubs caught my eye and I gratefully switched the skirt for a pair of the pale green pants. I kept the boots, shirt and jacket on since those did not make me feel like a slut and shook out my hair. It was wavy and not obeying me so I ended up just sweeping it back into a loose ponytail, which to me was more comfortable than the braid.

"Okay Jacinda, ready to go?" I murmured when I felt ready.

_I died ready to wreak havoc._ She laughed, or I laughed, or she laughed. Eh, you get the picture.

I took a deep breath and pushed. The usual feeling of releasing a spirit didn't apply apparently. Instead of feeling like I'd opened up my chest I felt like freezing cold sludge was seeping out through my eyes, making the colored contacts roll down my cheeks. The cold poured from my nose and mouth, even my ears. I thought I would suffocate as I coughed up the spirit. My eyes burned like I'd put liquid nitrogen on them. I even felt like I was sweating cold all over my body, I could feel the make-up bleeding off and my hair felt heavy like the last of my red dye was being pulled away strand by strand. It was like the icy power was draining away everything about me that was artificial so I was left with nothing but me.

It seemed to go on forever, as I started getting tunnel-vision suddenly I could breathe again. I collapsed to my knees, cracking them on the hard linoleum floor and gasped for air. I felt Jacinda all around me, laughing almost maniacally.

A part of me rebelled against what I did next, the same part that was shocked when I'd almost told Derek to be fast when checking to see if Tori could be helped. I summoned my energy around me like a net and cast it out, capturing the spirit. She shrieked and I cringed as I did release her this time, pushing her through whatever thin fabric separated this reality and the afterlife.

I told myself it was for the best, that I knew for a fact that she would hurt people and cause damage but I still couldn't shake the cold chill I'd gotten from it. I finally wiped my eyes and plucked up enough courage to stand. When I got to one knee I pitched sideways. I was so tired I could barely stay straight when I was seated, releasing Jacinda had wiped me completely.

Figures kept flitting in and out of sight, out of the corner of my eye the room looked like it had at least three other people in it but when I looked nothing was there. Damn, I was so drained I couldn't even block the imprint of ghosts.

I put my hand against the mirrored locker door nearest me and leaned on it to stand. I had to catch my breath once I was standing and—being a girl—glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My jaw dropped.

The freezing whatever that had poured out of me had changed the color of my eyes. It was like all of me was in color except my eyes which looked like they were in black and white. The iris was completely gray, not flat but definitely lacking any pigment. A reminder I would always have of what happened when I over-exerted myself. Derek was going to be pissed.

I used the wall the whole way to the door and had to put way too much effort into getting it open. Simon caught me as I stumbled out, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Chloe! Are you okay?"

"Just… a little tired." I took a breath and managed a shaky smile. "Seems like… necromancy is hard work after all."

"Chloe!" Jaime came racing to me in her four inch heels, so I guess she walked briskly to me or else she would have broken an ankle. "My god! What did you do?!"

"Channeled a bunch of demi-demon's ghosts." Simon said, glaring at me. "Any chance you could learn how to use like just a little of your power instead of all you've got?"

"You _what?_ You… you channeled several demi-demon level spirits without a summoning ritual or banishing charms?" She actually looked really worried.

I opened my mouth to reply but something dark raced at me from the corner of my eye and I ducked to find… nothing. Stupid ghosts.

"It's just a minor spirit. Come here." Jaime took my hands and closed her eyes. I felt warmth and just enough energy to stand on my own flow into me.

"That was cool." I gasped.

Jaime grinned. "I read about it but I've never tried it. My gran said that necromancers used to do it back in the day."

"Thank you very much."

Jaime hugged me and I felt a tightness in my throat as she held me, she felt like I remembered mom feeling, and Aunt Lauren. I missed having a mother and it killed me that I still didn't know what happened to Aunt Lauren.

When she pulled back she looked at me worriedly. "Are you all right?"

I realized I was crying and wiped my eyes quickly. "Yeah. Just… a lot has happened lately. I guess I'm a little worn."

She nodded sympathetically and gave me another quick hug. "It will be over soon."

I did my best impression of a smile and looked around. "Where's Derek?"

"Still doing sweeps of the building with Clay. He seems a little annoyed." She said delicately.

I grinned at that and turned to Simon. "Want to go find him?"

He shrugged. "Might as well, he'll just sulk all day if we don't."

I glanced at Jaime as everyone else was occupied and she shrugged. "They're saying that those two people got away and everywhere else is secured, but if you run into any trouble just call Liz and she'll get a message to me."

Liz materialized next to Jaime, grinning from ear to ear. "Not that you're not great Chloe, but it's awesome to be able to talk to someone else for a change."

I assumed Jaime meant Mrs. Enright and Dr. Davidoff and I gave Liz an understanding smile and a nod, already moving down the hall. I felt like I had enough energy to walk on my own, much to Simon's disappointment and we were off before anyone told us not to. I was using my find-Derek radar while Simon thought we were just walking aimlessly. We made it to a hall with two partially open doors.

"You check in that one, I'll check this." Simon said.

I shrugged, knowing Derek wasn't in either but grateful for a quick rest. I went into the darkened room and flipped the light switch. While my eyes adjusted to the glare a hand clamped down over my mouth and I was gripped tightly.

"Well miss Saunders, you've caused quite a ruckus." My blood froze at the familiar voice and the cold metal cylinder pressed to my temple.

_Dr. Davidoff. _Complete with handgun.

"You didn't really think I'd let any of the subjects from my genesis two project get away did you?" He said quietly, pulling me away from the door. "You're my little guinea pigs. I can't wait to dissect your brain in particular. So much power to be researched."

I shuddered and tried to remember what Simon had said about getting out of a hold.

"And Mr. Souza, I would love to know if he is that gifted because of what we did and if we can replicate it. It will be wonderful when I have him on my lab table." He chuckled pleasantly. "I think I'll terminate him first."

That got me moving. I elbowed him in the stomach as hard as I could and bit the hand over my mouth, dropping all of my weight straight down. For some reason it disgusted me even more than biting the Australian had. He let go with a yelp and I staggered forward, wrenching open the door and falling into the hallway.

"Help!" I screamed.

Simon came running back into the hallway. "What is it??"

"Dr. Davidoff." I panted, trying to get my breath back from being so utterly terrified. "In there."

He carefully peeked around the edge and swore. "Damnit! There's another exit! Stay here!"

"No! He has a gun!" I shouted at his retreating back. Simon may sometimes annoy the crap out of me, but I didn't want him hurt.

He ignored me and went anyway. I spent a few ageless minutes in the hall, feeling like the useless blond heroine once again. Simon finally came back, shaking his head and looking frustrated.

"I didn't see him."

"Let's get back to the other's so that they know he's still here." I decided to for once take the option that Derek would have approved of.

He hesitated, then nodded. We had almost made it to the end of the hall when I heard the shout. I turned in time to see Liz flickering as she shoved me as hard as she could with her power into Simon, sending us both crashing to the ground as I heard a gun fire. I was so surprised that it was a second before I felt it, a burning pain in my side as I instinctively tucked my knees up.

I heard a gasp of air and looked up to see Liz telekenetically wrenching a gun away from someone as they ran around the corner with the swish of a lab coat.

Davidoff had sounded tired, I would bet my piggy bank that he used up any magic he had and that was why he was resorting to guns.

"Ten bucks says that was Davidoff." Simon said grimly, getting ready to run after him before he saw me. "Jesus! You're bleeding!"

"It's just… not my day today." I pushed carefully to my knees and opened my jacket. The bullet had barely grazed me, just enough to break the skin and get a little blood on my beautiful white jacket and make me mad as hell.

"Good thing he's a scientist and not a sharpshooter." Simon smiled and offered his arm. "We need to get you back STAT."

"Agreed." I winced as we stood and put pressure on the cut. "Phooey. I really want to kick that guy's butt."

"Phooey?" Simon smiled weakly at me, eyes still dark with worry. "Seriously?"

"Shut up and get me to somewhere with aspirin."

We tried the walking—or rather now limping—away from danger thing again. We almost made it, less than ten yards from the turn off into the courtyard when I felt the butterfly-twinge as we passed a hallway.

"Derek's down there!" I exclaimed, changing directions without pausing.

"How do you know?"

"I… saw him." I lied.

Simon didn't push and we went down the hall. The place was like a maze of sterile corridors with every door looking just like every other one. Without any noise Derek came out of the room right in front of us, making Simon yelp and him spin around, teeth bared. He froze when he saw me.

"… What happened to your eyes… and hair?" He asked slowly, straightening. He stopped moving again, inhaling deeply through his nose. "Where are you bleeding?" He snapped, taking me from Simon as easily as if they were handing off a weak kitten.

"Just a little graze, nothing to get all dramatic over." I winced as he peeled back my coat, revealing a patch of blood about as wide as a dinner plate. "It's not as bad as it looks! I promise!"

As he bent over my side, examining me closely with Simon watching with an amused, thoughtful expression, I saw a dark shape behind him.

"Derek!" I shouted a warning as an arm appeared above his back. An arm holding a big empty syringe.

He turned too late, catching the needle in the chest, Dr. Davidoff shoving down the plunger faster than I could knock his hand away. Derek shoved him into the wall where he smashed but didn't lose consciousness.

"Do you… know what happens… when air is injected in your bloodstream?" Dr. Davidoff asked with a wet cough, sliding down.

Derek paled and looked quickly at Simon. "Get dad!" He dropped to one knee, turning a glare on Davidoff.

"What's wrong?? What did you do?!" I screamed, trying to hold Derek up.

"It won't… hurt for long." This time Davidoff coughed blood. "Just a little… rupture in the aorta." He laughed and it turned to a coughing fit. When his breath was back Derek was pale, one big hand clutching his chest. Davidoff spat a gob of blood and when he spoke his voice was almost back to normal. "Just like Lauren Fellows."

"No!"

Derek dropped to his other knee and no amount of support on my part could keep him up as he slipped to his side, one hand touching my cheek briefly before dropping.

I numbly reached out to Derek's stilling form, my heart throbbing like it was on fire. I could feel him ripping away from me, taking my soul with him. I clutched my bleeding side and shook him gently, grabbing his hand in mine. It felt cold, and he was beginning to have the tingly nervous feel of a corpse.

"Please, please get up Derek." I begged, shaking harder.

"I told you I would terminate him first." Dr. Davidoff said in his nice-scientist tone, pushing to his feet and wearing the comfortable non-threatening half smile even as he tossed aside the syringe. "None of you will-"

He stopped talking as I wrapped my hand around his ankle, pushing the cloth away to feel the skin. I looked into his face as he looked down at me curiously and I felt nothing, I was past hatred or pity or fear.

"You took him away from me."

I heard Simon and Kit run up to us but didn't process whatever they were yelling.

"Now you will bring him back."

I gripped him with a vise-like pressure and pulled as hard as I could, not physically, but with my power. I felt a terrible wrenching and watched coldly as Davidoff dropped back against the wall as I channeled white hot energy through my pendant. It shocked up the hand holding Davidoff's ankle, through the necklace and down my other hand holding Derek's. Without warning the jewel shattered, sending white hot pain into my chest and shoulder as shards of it pierced my skin. Without it I took the energy straight through my heart and into the still form I held desperately. I sucked everything that Davidoff had out of him, so much power that I felt my heart begin to stutter from the shock of passing it.

Something or someone wrenched me away from the cold ankle I clung to, yelling at me to stop. I saw three figures leaning over me, two of them screaming for an ambulance as the third called my name over and over.

_I'm not lost. _I thought sleepily. _You don't have to look for me, I'm right here._ But I couldn't get my mouth to work as I tried to reach up.

Then I was falling faster and faster backwards and the three figures got further and further away. Their voices growing faint as my vision faded to black.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Images and vague feelings came after that, but they were all distant and foggy.

I felt weightless like I was being carried.

Someone was yelling at me and I saw the roof of a car above me and machines all around. My left side and chest felt so tight that when all the tension cramped then eased at once I let out a breath like a sigh.

"Der… ek…"

"Chloe!" Came a desperate response.

I saw a small room from above, looking down at a really petite, frail-looking girl lying down with her eyes closed. She looked almost peaceful but the person next to her did not look peaceful, he looked terrified and enraged at the same time, watching the girl like she was the most important thing on the planet and she was being taken away from him. In the background there were a lot of people talking urgently and the beeping of machines. Someone shouted "CLEAR!" And I was slammed back into my body as I felt my torso jerk straight up, excruciating pain searing through my chest.

Brilliant green eyes glared at me furiously, angrier than I'd ever seen them.

I heard more yelling but no more machine sounds. "-never at this price!!" Someone was growling almost frantically.

A big rough hand was engulfing mine, lips pressed against my fingertips.

"Please." Someone whispered. "Don't leave."

* * *

I became aware of my surroundings slowly. This time wasn't like the others, I was actually awake, not just getting snatches of consciousness. My body felt like it had been sumo-wrestling with a world champ, every muscle ached and screamed to stay still as I very carefully tested my movement, working up to opening my eyes.

"So." A familiar voice said as my underused eyes struggled to focus, finally resolving the big blobby mass next to me into a more Simon-y shaped blob. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you and Derek are an item."

I managed a small smile at that. I opened my mouth to speak but found my voice extremely hoarse, I swallowed a few times and tried again. "How… long-?"

"You've been out for four days." A cool hand rested on my forehead. "Howsabout next time you use a psychic necromancer defibrillator you practice on mice first? Better yet, cockroaches."

"Psy-wha?" I blinked, finally clearing the rest of my vision. "Is…?"

Before I could even finish asking the door slammed open, cracking into the wall and putting a hole in the plaster. I managed to move my head sideways to look and saw a lean handsome Korean man calming down a nurse before the doorway was completely filled. Then I finally realized who was in the doorway and forgot about everything else.

"I go to the cafeteria for ten minutes and she picks NOW to wake up?!" Derek snarled.

My vision got blurry and I blinked, making large tears roll down my cheeks and onto my pillow. "You're alive… Thank god." I managed to whisper but knew he could hear me even from the door.

Derek looked like he hadn't slept in three or four days. He also looked livid. I winced as he stomped forward, gripping the bars surrounding my bed so hard that they bent and squeaked in protest. I got the feeling that I was in for the lecture of a life time.

"Hey Love, do you want me to stay and referee?" Simon stage-whispered to me, leaning over my bed and earning a venomous glare from Derek.

I touched the top of Simon's hand weakly and shook my head no. "I… can take it." I smiled and Simon smiled back, still looking worried.

"Okay. I'm going to be right outside, and remember that red button by your left hand is a panic button. Don't be afraid to use it." With that supportive statement he yanked the door out of the wall with both hands and closed it behind him.

"If you ever. EVER. Do _anything _like that EVER again…" Derek looked like he wanted nothing more than to strangle me. His hands even opened and closed, flexing hard on the bars and making them bend further. "… EVER…"

I tried to reach my hand to his face but was still too tired and only made it partway. As it fell Derek caught it and pressed his lips to it, eyes clenched shut.

"I-" My throat was still sore and I had to swallow a few times. Without looking Derek grabbed the glass of water with a convenient straw in it from the bedside table, holding it perfectly to my mouth. I smiled at him while he still kept his eyes shut and took a sip. "Thanks."

He nodded jerkily and put the water back on the table.

"I didn't have… any choice." I began, coughed and then continued. "You have done the same… for me."

Derek shook his head stubbornly, still keeping his eyes downcast. "Nah I would have walked away that time and saved myself the lifetime of headache."

When he looked up finally his eyes were just a little over-bright and filled with so much relief that I couldn't help but smile as more of my tears rolled onto my pillow. "Better… buy yourself some Excedrin."

He laughed and it was a relieved, angry and ecstatic sound. Then he bent to press his mouth to my forehead with a sigh. "I am so mad at you right now." He murmured tenderly and kissed me again.

"Mr. Souza, we have to examine her now." A woman in a lab coat said firmly.

Derek looked ready to break every bone in her body.

"Get on this side… idiot." I rolled my eyes at him half-heartedly as he rounded to the window side of the bed, never taking his eyes off the doctor.

The checkup went fine except for Derek having to swallow growls every time the doctor touched me. After that they let Simon, Kit and even Tori in the room. Kit and Simon bantered and joked and made me laugh as though they had never spent a day apart. Tori griped about hospital food and how annoying packing for the MIT summer camp was going to be when she only had four months to shop in preparation. Derek stayed quiet and in the corner but never let go of my hand.

A few members of the Interracial Counsel stopped by two, Paige and Jaime and a girl I'd never seen before. She was Paige's adopted/foster daughter, Savannah and was probably in her early twenties, studying to be a graphic designer. Simon started following her around like a lost duckling. Jaime told me that I had an internship working with her whenever I wanted it and that I could stay in her spare bedroom for the rest of my life if I so chose.

Finally the doctor kicked them all out except Derek, who I learned had made it clear from the first night that he wasn't leaving my side even if they sent the entire police force to get him (much less the one chubby security guard). It had gone much smoother when my dad had shown up and after talking to Kit and Simon and looking at Derek signed some legal permission slips. The doctors promised that my dad was on his way and should be arriving at any moment.

It looked like there was an uneasy truce between Derek and doctor, she didn't like that he was around unsupervised but couldn't explain why my vitals were stronger when he was there and so didn't give him too much trouble. The nurses loved him. His grumpiness and anti-social manner that made everyone stay away apparently became endearing personality traits when he spent all day and night by his girlfriend's sickbed. Just a big ole six and a half foot softie.

I finally got to take a nap in between my friend's visit and my dad's and kicked Derek out when my dad showed up, banishing him to the hallway like a bad puppy. He glared at me the whole way out, saying clearly with his expression that if I so much as thought about sucking the soul out of anyone while he was gone I'd be grounded for life.

My dad dropped to the chair next to me, he looked tired but relieved. "Chloe I'm so glad you're safe."

"I'm sorry, I wanted to call but aunt Lauren said it would put you in danger." My voice was still rough and my throat felt like it had been steam-cleaned but I was able to talk more coherently if I went slowly. "I wasn't kidnapped… and I would never run away if there was another choice."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I know sweetheart. Mr. Bae explained it all to me and bits and pieces have been on the news."

We sat in uncomfortable silence; dad and I didn't spend a lot of time together so conversation was always a challenge.

"Er." He said finally, clearing his throat. "Is the tall guy your boyfriend?"

I giggled at his description of Derek. "Yeah… I suppose he is."

"Chloe, isn't he a little old for you? I saw the textbooks he was working in while you were… asleep. He must be at least a sophomore in college. I know you like him baby, but isn't there anyone closer to your age? And height?"

I laughed again as I heard a faint growl from the hallway. "No daddy, Derek has saved my life more times in the past few months than I can count. He's like a boyfriend and bodyguard all in one."

Dad looked like he believed that at least.

"And." I said as he opened his mouth to argue. "Derek is seventeen. He's just really really REALLY smart."

Dad's mouth snapped shut. "Huh." He managed.

We sat in silence again, then his expression brightened. "I brought some of your things. Your monkey, your get-better book and…" He set my stuffed animal on the side of the bed, followed by the book my mother read to me when I was sick _The Magical Land of Noom_ (yeah yeah yuck it up), then a flat white box.

He opened the box for me and I gasped when I saw what was inside. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Derek check on me through the window set in the door when I gasped. So cute.

Anyway, inside the jewelry box was my pendent—at least, the largest shard of it they could find—now completely pale blue and strung on a stronger chain than before made of either silver or white gold. The chain was shaped like a miniature olive branch complete with leaves and the occasional olive, but the clasp was my favorite part.

I raised an eyebrow at my dad as I touched it.

He shrugged with a wry smile. "It's just some kind of signature the jeweler does, a little weird I know but-"

"It's perfect." I interrupted.

The clasp was shaped like a tiny wolf's head that's mouth opened to get the accompanying loop attached. Derek was going to laugh about this.

"… Okay Chloe bear I'm going to head home. Uh… Mr. Bae wanted to talk to you about something so when you feel up to it…"

I was curious but just smiled and said goodbye, promising to get well enough to leave before he knew it. Derek opened the door for him, they said hello and shook hands (I prayed Derek wouldn't have to go all male and crush dad's hand) and he came into my room, making a beeline for the armchair he'd claimed as his own.

"Chloe bear?" He asked as he sat down.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "He's been calling me that since I was a toddler."

"No no, I mean, it's cool, I just don't think you look like a 'bear'."

"I'm so not being baited by you." I muttered.

"Maybe a runty kitten."

"Runty?!"

"But I don't like cats… Hmmm…" He paused thoughtfully while I glared at him. "That's it, definitely."

He smirked at me and I held out as long as I could before caving. "All right, what's 'it'."

"You're a bird." He leaned forward and waved a strand of my now blond again hair—the nurses must have washed it while I was unconscious. "A canary."

"What!" I exclaimed indignantly. "I'm so a hawk. Like a peregrine falcon."

"Nope. Definitely a song bird."

"Mangy wolf." I mock-growled.

"Fine, a pigeon."

We argued back and forth for awhile before I felt my eyes getting tired. Derek immediately ordered me to sleep, which made us argue for a few more minutes before I agreed, or rather my body agreed. As I started drifting off I reminded myself to show Derek the necklace but I felt my hair being gently raised and cool metal slipping around my neck and smiled, I guess he found it on his own.

**The End.**


	27. Epilogue

Epilogue

I paced in front of the mantelpiece anxiously, my wolf instincts had been a hundred times more protective than usual of Chloe in the past seven months. I forced my feet to stop moving and instead focused on what usually calmed me, looking at our pictures lined neatly along the mantle. Chloe of course had insisted and I had argued but as usual once they were up there I wouldn't take them down for the world. It appealed to the possessive mangy animal still pacing in my mind, it was an obvious statement that Chloe was mine as she was with me in most of the pictures.

I started chronologically, pulling each memory to the front of my mind, recalling each smell and sound. The first was the camping trip she had promised Simon when we left the safe house. Not only was she wearing the promised bikini (we had compromised on a nicely modest one, a tankmartini or whatever, and she of course had gotten a completely different one when I wasn't looking) but she was roasting a marshmallow WHILE wearing it. The rest of us, including Tori for some unknown reason, were laughing at Chloe's expression of absolute horror at her flaming marshmallow.

After the showdown with the Edison Group and Chloe got out of the hospital, dad had talked to her father about her living with us while he was out of town. Dad had said that with Chloe's aunt MIA and the possibility of Edison Group survivors it would be safest if Chloe was somewhere she could be protected. Of course neither of them told me and I found out by being kicked out of my room to bunk with Simon.

The next was her high school graduation, I loved this picture, someone (Simon) had managed to take it while Chloe was mid-leap, flying towards me while I was turning towards her, a wide-eyed look on my face. I'd managed to catch her and set her down and try to tell her how dangerous it was to jump at people who weren't looking but she'd just jumped on me again, this time countering my safety lecture with her lips. That second picture was in the same frame with Chloe's feet a foot from the ground and me holding her in what she called the fool-proof lecture-stopper.

I grinned and looked at the next one, Chloe and me graduating from Stanford together, she was getting her masters in film direction and I was getting my PhD in mathematics and biology. She was laughing as she compared her smaller diploma to my two bigger ones. I remember that she'd said that it was a good thing I was so strong or I wouldn't be able to carry all of my scholastic awards.

The next was a smaller picture, taken of Chloe running around in circles in four-inch heels while we got ready to go to the opening of her first movie, Simon and dad were laughing in the background. She'd been so nervous and pouring energy that she'd accidentally raised several people—the theater was old and had a few skeletons in the closet, well technically basement. Luckily her first movie had been a horror film and people thought the zombies were an "extraordinary feat of makeup and perfume." Chloe had gotten them all back in their graves before the movie started. This picture was tucked a little away because Chloe didn't like to be reminded of that little incident.

The picture in the middle was my favorite. Chloe was shining in a simple white strapless silk dress, trying to make me eat cake while I had my hands around her waist, holding her at arms-length and trying to work up a good scowl. Chloe's dad was smiling in the background with my dad, my father and Jaime. We had to find someone to custom make a tuxedo for me and had to alter the heck out of Chloe's dress to make it small enough to fit her. I remembered Chloe's face when the bridal store attendant had suggested she look in the children's section. But the wedding had been perfect, gone off without a hitch. Jeremy, Elena and Clay came with the whole pack—which probably helped to discourage any potential trouble-makers (excluding the twins who had spiked the punch, pretty rowdy for twelve year olds). Their wedding gift to us had been the twenty acres of land that we lived on now.

I took a second to glance across the room at our enlarged marriage certificate. It was signed Derek Souza-Danvers and Chloe Souza-Danvers. After nearly a decade I had decided that it was time to take Jeremy's last name. Guests thought that we had had the misfortune of leaving the certificate lying somewhere where animals could get it because there was an inky black paw print in one corner which was the main reason it had such a big border. Chloe had insisted and being the spineless pushover that I am I agreed. And maybe I loved it just a little that Chloe made it clear that she was marrying both parts of me.

Next was our honeymoon, it was one of the few serious pictures we had. I wasn't even sure who took it but it was the two of us lying in a hammock with the sunset behind us. A little cliché but Chloe's face was perfect in it, she looked so happy. My expression was a little embarrassing, I was looking down at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. Which was true but that didn't mean I wanted a picture of it.

Then a picture of Chloe in a graveyard, standing knee-deep in the mist and yelling into her director's megaphone. Ironically after the success of her first movie she became the thriller queen of independent movies, which she accepted gracefully and grumbled about at home. There was an Oscar on the shelf next to the fireplace with "best special effects and makeup" on it, Chloe had managed to talk a few old actors into making appearances in zombie-form. The film world thought it was her personal quirky thing that she credited the zombies to dead actors.

The next was of me, Simon and dad. We had taken him skydiving for his sixtieth birthday and the photographer had gotten a series of pictures that we'd put in one of those three-picture frames. The first was the three of us in the airplane, getting ready to jump while dad did his lawyerly best to talk us out of it. The second was all of us in the air, Simon bulleting past the two of us while Dad's arms wind-milled frantically. The last was all of us on the ground, our hair windblown and grinning from ear to ear, even dad.

The last picture and most recent was at Simon's release party for his "graphic novel" trilogy. It was a series that he had published one chapter at a time in comic magazines before DC had agreed to publish each as its own book. The main characters in the book were a teenage sorcerer, a werewolf and a girl necromancer. He definitely drew me like Schwarzenegger and upped Chloe a few cup sizes. Savannah was stomping past in the background and the three of us were each holding one of the books, Chloe's perched on top of her basket-ball sized stomach.

"D-DEREK!!" A yell from upstairs made me whip my head around, it was the first time I'd heard her stutter in years outside of the bedroom.

Then I smelled it and did something I hadn't done since we'd moved in, I vaulted the whole staircase, skidded on the upper landing and ran into the master bedroom. My beautiful stubborn extremely pregnant mate was standing frozen in the bathroom, her light blue stretchy cotton summer dress sticking to her legs with wetness.

In one motion I scooped her up and went carefully and quickly down the stairs. She was heavier than usual but still felt like she weighed next to nothing as I cupped her with one arm and opened and closed the front door behind us.

The pregnancy had worried us, with our genes being mixed up all to hell and both of us being a different kind of supernatural. But we found a local doctor who was also a witch and understood our whole situation and carefully monitored it with me. If it wasn't my wife who was pregnant with the potential monster the development over the past months would have been fascinating. It was still pretty interesting though, it looked like the baby was healthy and the birth would be normal.

I placed Chloe in the passenger seat of the car, strapping her in and then peeling out of the driveway like a bat out of hell. I speed dialed our OB/GYN and told her we were coming, she said to go straight to the ER entrance and I hung up.

"Can we get there in one piece please??" Chloe grabbed my arm. "He's not breaching yet you maniac!"

"If _she_ is anything like her mother she will have no sense of timing." I was grateful that the hospital was less than ten miles away. "This is your fault you know."

"MY fault?!" She screeched, making me wince. "How is it MY fault??"

"YOU got ME drunk." I pulled up to the emergency room entrance, not waiting for a wheelchair and scooping Chloe up, striding with her to meet our doctor in the hallway.

"YOU bought that bottle of tequila to begin with!!"

"It is NOT my fault that you wore that ridiculous red dress." I growled in her ear, trying not to picture the slinky mini-dress she had worn to our third wedding anniversary and focus on my wife being in labor.

"Well I bought it with YOUR credit card so it is!" She shot back.

I grinned at the blond firecracker that I was lucky enough to call mine and nuzzled her face. "You look beautiful."

"I'm in freaking labor you moron!"

"And you have the sweetest voice." I kissed her quickly before depositing her in the delivery room.

"Mrs. Danvers, you need to be still now and stop yelling at your husband." Our doctor said calmly, (she was used to us). "And Mr. Danvers if you want to be in here you need to change into scrubs." I followed a nurse to the adjacent room and changed quickly, keeping my ears focused entirely on Chloe and was back in under thirty seconds.

I glanced over her, taking a moment to listen to her heartbeat, making sure it wasn't being too strained. "How are you doing?"

"I… Am… Going… To… Divorce… You!" She threatened, huffing to catch her breath.

The wolf in me whined worriedly and wanted to curl up with Chloe, assuring her that there was no reason to divorce me while the human part smiled and kissed her forehead. I caught her slender hand and rubbed my thumb across the plain white gold band on her ring finger. "I love you too little bird."

She couldn't stop the tender smile that flitted across her lips at that before her eyes widened and she screamed. I held her hand and waited while our first child was born.

It was a girl.

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**Super long AN**

**Hey guys, first, if you were wondering about why it was seven months instead of nine it's because in Broken they talk about how werewolf babies take a shorter time to come to term since a wolf's gestation period is much shorter.**

**Also, I am planning another Darkest Powers project, not exactly a sequel but I will consider it. If you're really clever you might figure out what I'm thinking from the epilogue. I would be more than happy to take suggestions in the reviews for the epilogue!**

**Body and Soul, Kenhat, Emmoria, Silver Bird, Surreal, Moon Princess, Laura, Kayla, Jamie Kay, Nema Dragon, Jessi, Ghost, Karate Girl, Sam, Spencer Reid, Emily, and Mandy- Thank you all so much for reading the whole shibang! It's been a real pleasure writing for all of you guys and if I had enough brain power I would write a personal note to each and every one of you, until next time!**

**Black Heart- you haven't seen anything yet, the project I'm working on is 99% fluffy Derek and Chloe moments ~.^ and yes I read The Reckoning, afuckingmazing. Just fully awesome.**

**Kat- it has been a pleasure interacting with you. I look forward to what you have to say about my other stuff!**

**All the World's- Hopefully I'll be able to give you something to read post-reckoning that you enjoy just as much.**

**Sharpest Satire- For the record I killed BOTH Chloe AND Derek ;P**

**Marusaki- M-rating fluff on the way, hold your horses.**

**Seiyas- That is exactly who I was thinking of as Lola!**

**Yoli- Definitely didn't mean to forget anyone, sorry. Thanks for reading, M one-shot is going up first and then the next segment in my Darkest Powers venture.**

**Rikku- D=First, thank you for the Kit-to-Simon lecture idea, I loved it and couldn't not use it, hope you don't mind! And not only did you not curse me but I will be giving you EVEN MORE soon.**

**Ayonne- The nurse is totally from Dangerous. I just loved reading something from Derek's POV that was actually written by Kelley Armstrong, dunno if I already talked about that...**

**If I forgot anyone it's not because I don't love you! Just tell me and I'll write to you in the next Darkest Powers by Azure!**

**Because you asked, the next story is going to be called "An anniversary to remember" and that's the m-rated one-shot, followed by "Snapshots" which will be longer and alternating M and T ratings.**

**SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ PAST THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE RECKONING SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER!!!**

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**Okay, how seriously badass was Chloe in the book?! And is anyone besides me a little freaked out? First kiss goes to Simon, Chloe kicks more ass with seriously amped up powers, Kit's Tori's dad (saw that one coming), Andrew has super questionable friends, Davidoff holds someone at gunpoint... So which one of you guys is really Kelley Armstrong? And I don't want a cut of the profits I just want to be your bitch.**


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